The Ghost and the Keys
by Briarfox
Summary: She was supposed to have died seven years ago. If you read, please review. Enjoy :D
1. The Ghost of Christmas Past

The Ghost of Christmas Past

It's odd how weather can heighten or emphasize a mood. For four individuals who sat comfortably in a spacious hotel room this sense was not overlooked. While the eyes were on the man wearing the red coat, most of the attention was not. The eerie fog that lay thick outside had caught the interest of all members of the party. On the windows, as well, a thin layer of frost had begun to form adding to the chilling mood. Inside, while warm and cozy, one could feel the slight tension in the air. It was odd how that same feeling came around the winter holidays.

"Well everyone, as the New Year approaches so does the next job I have lined up. This will be one of the biggest undertakings we'll ever come up against, but it will be well worth it in the end."

"Get to the point, Lupin," remarked the resident samurai who turned his attention from the window to the master thief.

"Right, I finally got in my possession the last directions of Sir Francis Drake."

"So?" Fujiko enquired.

"So, my lovely Fuji-cakes, that means I have the location of his treasure that he hid from Queen Elizabeth. You think a pirate would give up all the treasure he worked for to some Royalty at home?"

"Well, where is it?"

"The actual treasure itself is somewhere on the beach of Nicaragua. The problem is finding the keys for it."

"The keys? As in there is more than one?"

"Correct, in fact there are four – a ruby, a sapphire, an emerald, and a diamond. Each key resides in a different spot in the world. Either it be under the watch of a museum guard or in the safe box of a private collection, we need to retrieve them to get to the final treasure."

"Lupin, this sounds like it'll take forever and I'm not a girl who likes to wait around."

"Would you wait around for 3.2 billion?"

"Alright, I'm interested."

"Of course," a mumble came from the corner, "you're just a money hungry bitch."

"What did you just say!" Fujiko yelled as she stood up.

"You heard me." With that, the man in black walked out of the room and just as swiftly out the door into the ghostly fog.

"I guess we should have expected that considering the time of year," Goemon said as he shook his head in disappointment.

"What is he talking about?"

"It's Christmas time," Lupin responded gravely.

"I know that, but what does that have to do with him being such an ass?" Lupin looked down at the slightly confused woman with an eye of 'you should know.' Upon thinking about it, Fujiko realized the insinuation and lost her angry stance. "That was seven years ago, though."

"Seven years may show its wear on the body, but not on the mind," Goemon chimed in.

"Well, it would explain why he drinks and smokes more."

"Yea, and seeing as it's the day of the accident, I think he'll be doing his usual celebrating at the bar. Don't worry, though, he'll be his usual self in a few days."

"His usual self isn't much better."

It was true; seven years ago that day the only loss to the group occurred via car crash. The name Jess Abraham was never brought up since then since it usually only procured tears or grimaces of pain. A doctor in training and a soon to be permanent member of the Lupin gang, Jess had seemed to find her place among the ragtag team of thieves. She even found love in the usually cold, sarcastic gunman. But, it seemed her time had come when she was taken quickly on that cold December night.

Meanwhile, as the rest of the group prepared to go to bed, the aforesaid gunman made his way down to the bar. He could hear his feet on the cobblestone of the street and the loud echoes they made in the silent German town. There was a time when a walk like that wouldn't seem so lonely, and heaven knows he tried to find someone to fill that hole, but they all ended up like the stereotype Jigen made women out to be – manipulating and deceiving.

Upon entering the small tavern, Jigen made himself as inconspicuous as possible and sat at the far end of the poorly lit room. Indicating to the bartender he wanted a few shots of something strong, he settled into the worn wooden chair with a lit cigarette for a night of forgetting.

Jess had hated it when he smoked and gave him an evil eye when he would drink too much, but when she left they were the only things that'd really comfort him. In the back of his mind there may have been reasoning that if he continued to do it, she'd be there one more time to scold him for it.

With a quick scan of the room, Jigen noticed the usual characters one sees in the bar. There was the drunk who had the coveted spot right next to the bartender. Next to the door was the man who 'couldn't catch a break' and usually had a disheveled appearance. Finally, there was the family man who went to the bar because he wanted to be anything but a family man. Just the normal crowd; normal until the door opened.

"Ah little miss," the bartender said cheerfully in English with a heavy German accent, "I thought you had moved. You never come around anymore."

"Well, what can I say? I was feeling a bit down."

This new girl, Jigen noticed, had swept into the bar like a breath of fresh air…or it could have been the huge gust of wind that blew in as she opened the door. Clutching the trench coat she wore tightly around her face as she entered, she closed the door quickly and made her way to other end of the tavern. The bartender went over to greet her leaving an opening for the gunman to watch without being noticed.

"You have the usual group in here, Gus; I assume it's just a slow night?"

"Ach, it is a bit slow, but we have an addition to our happy family here. Look in the corner."

The young woman arched her neck to see the "addition." The act caused Jigen to pull down his hat at having been caught watching.

"I should know to be more friggin' discrete than that," he mumbled to himself. "She probably thinks I'm some kind of pervert."

His embarrassment didn't last long, though, as he saw the woman suddenly get back up and make her way to the door. For a moment she paused and ran back to the bartender, taking a napkin and writing something down. As she handed it and a Euro over to owner of the establishment, she again popped her collar to cover her face and left just as quickly as she had entered.

"Excuse me sir, this is for you." The bartender walked over to where Jigen sat and laid down a shot of whiskey on a napkin.

"Sorry, but I didn't order it…yet."

"I know, she said to read the napkin."

Jigen looked down at the quickly scratched message on the indicated napkin. It was hard to make out at first, but upon further inspection, he was able to read:

_**Take it easy on the booze – love, Jess**_

"Hey, man, do you think this is friggin' funny!" the gunman growled grabbing the bartender by the collar and pointing to the napkin. "Well, you going to explain yourself or do I need to blow another hole in your face to say something?" Jigen began to reach around his back for his gun as the scared man stumbled over his words.

"Nein, I mean no. Sir, this isn't from me, it's from the girl who was in here before. She said you'd know what it meant."

"That bitch." Jigen let loose his grip on the bartender and threw down his payment for the few drinks he had ordered. Pushing the wooden chair out of his way, he ran towards the door and opened it to find a face full of wind. Pulling his jacket closed and using one hand to hold his hat in place, he stood silent to listen.

To the far left he heard the sound of shoes on cobblestone – heels, they belonged to a woman.

The streetlights had turned on and allowed a slim amount of visibility. The sleet which had been present in the beginning of the day had turned into large chunks of snow that blew fierce against the fuming man who headed swiftly in the direction of the woman.

"Who does this bitch think she is? It's probably Fujiko trying to piss me off. Well, I'll show her what it means to mess with something like that."

The footsteps were getting closer and it was becoming obvious that the woman knew she was being followed as the pace went from casual strides to hurried clatter. This was no problem for the angered gunman, though, who ran towards the ever increasing sound finally to find his antagonist.

"Hey, why the hell did you write that? Do you think that it's funny?"

The woman kept trying to walk away but Jigen kept up his stride behind her. He was furious at this point. This chick wasn't even giving him an excuse and continued to ignore him.

"Why not stop and talk awhile?" he yelled sarcastically as he pulled out his gun and cocked it. "You seemed willing enough to write that crap before, why not talk to me in person?"

The mysterious woman stopped cold in her tracks at the sound of the gun. The wind continued to blow hard against the two still bodies. Although being threatened, she tried to stay resolute and didn't turn around. Jigen could see her shiver, though, although he wasn't sure if it was from the cold or the scare at having a gun to her back. He almost felt bad at that point for possibly scaring her, but that thought was quickly swept away at what she wrote on the napkin.

"Who told you to write that? How do you know…?"

But the marksman was cut short as the woman turned around and looked straight up into his eyes. Never in his life had he been caught totally off guard, but at that moment someone could have knocked him over with a feather. It was impossible, he had to be seeing things.

"Jess?"

"You know, no one has called me that in seven years."


	2. Liquor is Quicker

Liquor is Quicker

"Jess…is that really you?"

The wind continued to pick up its pace as the flurry of snow blew around the two lone souls still in the street. It was late and the only sign of light was the one streetlamp on the corner. The young woman leaned close to the confused man as a means to block the chilling wind.

"Yes, it's me," she responded slowly in a soft whisper, "I shouldn't have said anything."

"No, you should have said something sooner."

"There were so many times…" the brunette murmured as she laid a hand on his chest.

"Jess…"

It really was her. Never in his life had he thought to ever see her again. But, there she was – leaning so close and touching him so tenderly like nothing had changed.

"Can we go to my home? I…I don't like being out in the open like this."

Jigen merely nodded in response as speaking was still a hard concept at the moment. He couldn't stop watching her as he was afraid that at any moment he would wake up and she'd be gone again. Gently grabbing a hold of his arm, Jess held close and led him in the direction she had been heading before. Their walk conducted them down a narrow alley and finally to an inconspicuous door behind a fire escape. After fumbling in her pocket for her key, Jess opened the door only for them to be welcomed by a very large dog.

"Sorry, this is my puppy, Blitz," she remarked nonchalantly as she stepped around the enormous German Shepard.

"That's not a puppy, that's a friggin' monster."

The dog and the gunman followed Jess down the short hallway into a cozy living room where she indicated to a couch for the man to stay. Leaving him to go in to the kitchen, Jigen took the time to look around for some clues as to what she had become.

The room was not very large, but it wasn't cramped; definitely perfect for anyone living on their own. The quality of the furniture was surprisingly excellent as well as her taste in colors which gave the room a warm glow. This meant that her income was efficient, if not more than efficient in supporting her. Pictures on the mantle displayed where her heart lay; one of her dad, one of her friend Kim, and even one of the Lupin gang. What really caught his eye, though, were the unusual amount of her and Will. His gaze left the mantle as the young woman reemerged from the kitchen with two cups of coffee.

"I'm sorry, I forgot how you take your coffee so if you want sugar or anything just let me know."

"Black is fine."

Jess sat down on a large chair and gracefully made herself comfortable. Holding the coffee mug with two hands she softly blew on the steam that floated from the piping liquid. She hadn't changed. After taking off her coat, Jigen could study her face closely. Although seven years had gone by she still had the same chestnut hair that just passed her shoulders. Those dark lashes and light brown eyes that they framed were still there as well. All that had changed was time; she was just as he remembered.

"Please stop staring at me like that, it's kind of weird."

"Oh," he mumbled snapping out of his trance. Jigen looked away slightly embarrassed at having been caught twice in the same night for staring. "Sorry, but I mean I was under the impression you were dead."

As soon as he mentioned it, Jess looked away and began to stroke the large German Shepard who had made his place right at the foot of the chair. Even though the girl wouldn't look him straight in the eye, the dog continued to glare at the gunman.

"You know, you'd always ask to be told a story of slight significance, why don't you tell me one?"

"I…I wouldn't know where to start."

"How about why?"

With a flash, her eyes turned towards Jigen again with a flame of anger.

"Lupin never told you did he? Of course not, he wouldn't want to get shot by his own body guard. Well, my dear, he found it quite necessary to make me a member of the group without asking. He had Fujiko manipulate me into training for a while. I nearly died, but luckily I had Will. I'm sure you remember it as I was quite out of my wits when you came to pick me up."

"Will? Is that what that was about? He said you were drunk off your ass."

"That's what I asked him to say since I knew you didn't want me getting involved in such a lifestyle."

"You lied because of me?"

"Hmmm," Jess gave a short chuckle and continued, "Yea. You meant so much to me, but I never really told you because of my pride. Don't get me wrong, I'm still stubborn as all hell, but I've learned to restrain it a bit."

"I'm glad you haven't changed."

"I've never changed for anyone and you were really the only one who accepted that. But, sometimes one has to make a decision to keep true to that principle. When I found out about Lupin's plan, I had to leave. Of course escaping was what was expected out of me and it would only mean I would be tracked down again. No, I had to find my own path in the world. I refused to let another person determine my fate."

"Did anyone else know?"

"Yes – Will. He was the only one, though. Not even my best friend was allowed to know just in case she was questioned. To her knowledge, I'm still pushing up daisies. In fact, I wouldn't have told Will aside from the fact I needed his help. It was a blessing, though, as he went far beyond what I would have expected."

"I don't understand. We saw the car, we saw the blood, and we put 'you' in the ground."

"But did you see the body?"

The sudden realization rushed over the marksman. They had never seen the body they put in the ground. The doctors insisted it was too mangled from the accident to be shown to the public. He had been too drunk at the time anyways to have figured it out.

"You see, when I left that night I had no intention to go to town. A few weeks prior I had called Will to call his contacts at the hospital. I told him I needed to leave desperately and that the only route was through death. Luckily for me and unfortunately for you, he already had a bad taste in his mouth when it came to my mystery friends. All he knew was that you all never visited me and that I apparently deserved much better. Do I feel bad for letting him keep that notion? Definitely, but at that time I wanted to be free to discover what I was meant for."

"You could have just asked to leave if it was _that_ bad." Jigen had become slightly depressed upon hearing that she had considered herself a prisoner with him and his friends. She never indicated it, he had no idea.

"Jigen, you of all people should know you can't just leave. Either be untrue to yourself or stand up and fight. I decided to fight." Jess took a sip of her coffee and continued her story. "Upon taking the car, I drove it straight into the snow bank where I told Will to meet me. From the hospital he had brought bags of donated blood and spread it around the scene. He even took a sledge hammer to the side of the stranded vehicle to give it the impression of being hit. The connections he had at the hospital (fellow doctor friends) were the ones who called the house to break the news. We had one sign a death certificate and that was it; I was dead. It's amazing how a piece of paper can determine both life and death."

"So Will, he took care of you, right? You didn't have to sleep in the gutter or something like that?"

"I would have thought that after seven years you'd have stopped worrying about me."

"Ah, old habits."

"Its fine, I was quite sure you'd have forgotten about me. Surely you must have someone special in your life?" It was quite obvious to Jigen what she was searching for because every time she would ask a question like that in the past, she'd give away her true intentions by nervously looking at another object in the room. This particular moment the candle on the coffee table was of particular interest to her.

"Uh, my luck in that department is nothing noteworthy. In fact, they all turned out to be manipulating bitches like all…" But he didn't finish the sentence because "like all women" would have been untrue. The brunette in front of him had never done any of that but she had figured out where he was going with it and gave him the evil eye anyways. "How about yourself?" he asked slowly as he peeped under the rim of his hat.

"Well, I was engaged but it was broken off a year ago."

"What?"

"You see," she continued nonchalantly, "after I left France, Will helped me in applying to a college in the north of England so that I could continue on with my plan. He would visit me every other weekend to make sure everything was alright. By my third year at University we began dating. It was funny as we were both quite poor and at some point could barely afford food, but every other weekend, there he was. Oh yes, since I no longer had a benefactor I took a job as a waitress at a very well-to-do restaurant. Oddly enough, rich people don't tip very much (must be why they're so rich,) so money was always a fun subject. Are you OK? You look a bit sick."

"I…yeah. I think I'm catching a cold or something."

That was a lie. As the conversation had progressed Jigen saw how the girl had quickly forgot about her time with the thieves and how she had created her own life…with someone else.

"Hmmm, I have just the thing for that."

In one quick movement, Jess had leapt up and ran to the bathroom to find something for cold symptoms. While the dog refused to leave her side, he would continue to watch Jigen out of the corner of his eye. All in all, the dog was beginning to freak the gunman out.

"Ok," Jess said with a sigh upon her return, "this is the only thing I could find. I know it looks weird but it's like the German equivalent to Nyquil. Wait, how much have you had to drink?" She had sat down right next to the man who had been slightly distracted by the dog but had now become quite aware how close she was.

"Uh, I can't remember."

"Well, whatever. You're a grown man, I'm sure it won't kill you."

"Kill me?"

"Haha…some doctor I am, huh?"

"You're a doctor?"

"That's right, I never finished my story."

Jess rested her head on the familiar man's shoulder and took a big sigh. The action further confused Jigen as he took the weird smelling liquid and swallowed it quickly in hopes of not tasting it. Unfortunately a bit hit the back of his tongue; it took all he could muster not to gag.

"After University I applied to Med School. Will said I should apply to Oxford again as by that time he had made alliances in the administration office. For the life of me I have no idea how he makes these acquaintances because I could never be that friendly to that many people. Needless to say I was accepted (under a fake name of course), moved in with Will, and continued on with studies. Around my second year, Will asked me to marry him and I agreed. It went along pretty well until some revelations were made…and well, we split up. That was a year ago. Again I followed my heart and was led here to my roots in Germany. This town needed a doctor and I was a doctor without patients."

"What kind of revelations?"

"There were two. One was the fact that I continued to steal."

"You still steal? How come you haven't been discovered as living because of it?"

"I'm not as flashy as you guys; plus the fact that my heists aren't on a huge scale. It's more of a thrill than a job. Knowing you, you've probably already noticed my home is very well furnished and yes, that is a real Ming vase in the corner. Do you think I could afford that on a fresh out of Med School doctor's salary? No way, I still have student loans to pay off. The second revelation, well that's a very long story for another time. Hey, you still awake?"

"Uh, yea, sorry. Does that stuff you gave me have a narcotic in it?"

"Oh, yes it does. Are you going to be able to make it back?"

"Wait, you said you two split up?"

"Yea, OK, I think you're kind of out of it."

Jess walked to the window and peered out of the closed curtain. It had been snowing constantly all night and with the wind, the drifts began to pile up against the buildings. She pulled close at her large button up sweater as she continued to watch the flakes fall. Thoughts ran quickly through her mind as what had all occurred. It was hard to comprehend that she had gone to drink her memories away tonight only to come across one sitting on the opposite side of the room. Maybe she shouldn't have said a word.

"I'll think about it tomorrow," the brunette mumbled to herself.

Turning back around, Jess realized that her actions had not gone unnoticed. For seven years she had gotten used to watching her own back, even during her time with Will. But, there Jigen was, leaning forward and adding that comfortable layer of protection. She used to dislike it but now it was finally something familiar she could lean on.

"Do you want to spend the night here? The weather is a bit unforgiving tonight."

"What?" As was indicated before, he had been watching the girl as she stood pensively by the window. The question took him by surprise, but it was the substance of the question that was more shocking than the act of asking it. "Are you sure?"

"Yea; as long as you don't mind the couch. Someone could catch their death out there."

"Well, obviously it's pretty easy to come back to life again."

"For a second there I was afraid you had lost your sense of humor."

"Yea, forgive me for not being a laugh riot. I went to the bar to forget about you and just my luck, I find you."

"It's not as bad as all that, is it?"

"I don't know, can you still do that thing with your hips if I…"

"Hey! I thought we established that that was a secret."

"As far as I knew you were gone so I saw the secret as dissolved. Don't worry, I just told everyone I know."

"Good thing no one listens to you or I'd be worried."

After a shared smirk, Jess retrieved a pillow and a few blankets for her guest. The wind still howled outside, tonight was suppose to be terrible. Star-crossed was the only appropriate word for the night now. As was her routine, the brunette locked all doors, closed all blinds, and turned off all lights. It troubled her audience of one on the couch that she still had so many worries.

"Jess, stay with me tonight."

His comment made her stop her walk down the hallway. The only light that entered the house now were the quick streaks of lamplight from outside. They played off her eyes and revealed the answer she wished she could have given, but didn't.

"I can't, it's not right."

"You steal…and when did you start caring what was right?"

Jess didn't answer and merely kept walking towards her room. She didn't want to deal with it. Seven years; she figured it would have been forever. Both had gone to go drink their problems away. A drink; that sounded really good.

Behind the door, clothes fell off quickly as she sauntered over to her bed. Usually neat, she was too preoccupied with what lay in her nightstand to pick up the fallen articles. On the bed post was the silky night gown she frequented. Scanty maybe, but it was one of her guilty pleasures. Quietly sitting on the spacious bed, Jess opened the drawer to the nightstand and took out the clear bottle that she had been seeking. Half empty, she never saw it as half full. To her left, though, she felt large eyes gazing up at her."

"Oh Blitz, don't judge me. Every now and then I just need a little help."

With a quick swig, Jess gave a little cough. She hadn't really built up a tolerance, but it did seem to take a bit longer to make some of the hurt go away. Even some of the toughest people crack after being alone for so long. Her act in solitude was interrupted, though, when she heard her canine friend give a soft growl towards the door.

"It's not proper to drink alone."

"I thought you would have picked up the hint that I wanted to be by myself."

"I think that being by yourself was what put that bottle in your hand."

"Listen, I don't need two souls judging me."

"Give it to me."

With a sigh, Jess handed over the bottle. How embarrassing it was for him to find her this way after seven years. She could hear him dumping her lonely comfort down the bathroom sink and then throwing the empty bottle in the trash. Ashamed and a bit tipsy, she rested her head in the palms of her hands. Maybe he'd just walk by and act like it didn't happen but by the sudden depression in the bed next to her, she knew that wasn't the case.

"I'm sorry; I guess I've changed a bit in the past seven years."

"I'd like to be around more to see how."

"You know, I'd like that."

The brunette sighed as she felt an arm rest around her shoulders. There were instances she wished she could pick up right were she left off so many years ago, sometimes to the moment before she met the thieves. No, there was no point for regrets now. The present had given her an opportunity to relax.

Jess had almost forgotten what that was like.


	3. Gingerbread

Can't Catch Me, I'm the Gingerbread Woman!

How is it possible for someone to change so little in seven years? The way she'd move and speak; all mannerisms were the same. Maybe the time hadn't passed and it had all been a dream; a sick dream. No, there _were_ too many changes. She spoke softer now, as if trying to smooth away her indiscretions. Her eyes rarely looked up, something had broken her spirit a bit or she was very nervous. He'd never see her rest, for the first time ever she had actually woken up before him. Rattling pots in the kitchen adjacent to the living room where the couch had been his bed, she had startled him awake. At least he was sure now she wasn't just a figment of alcohol induced dreaming.

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?" Jigen took a seat at the small oak table in the kitchen. Scratching his head he watched Jess move back and forth, bathrobe swishing as she traced from one spot to another. He wanted to listen but he was more transfixed by her curves than her voice.

"I woke you up didn't I? I'm like negative graceful in the morning."

"Its fine, I just can't believe you woke up before me."

"Well, I do work now. This is the usual time I get up."

"Work? Do you need to go in today?"

"Haha, no. It's Christmas Eve, didn't you notice?

"Sorry, I haven't done much in the celebration department at this time of year for a while."

"Oh," she knew what he was hinting at and paused a bit before handing him some coffee. "Are you angry with me?"

"Let's leave that conversation for another time, unless there isn't going to be another time…"

"What do you mean?" Jess sat down across from the gunman as he leaned back in his chair and folded his arms.

"Now that you know we're here, are you going to leave again?"

"Why would I?"

"I don't know; you do a lot of things I don't understand."

"Listen here…" _DING_ "Oh! Breakfast."

Jess's expression went from on the defensive to excitement in the matter of moments. From the oven she pulled out whatever had caught her attention and after fiddling with it she presented it to her guest.

"What the hell is that?"

Her smile turned to a frown upon hearing his reaction to her creation in quite a comical fashion.

"They're gingerbread men."

"How come that one has a lazy eye?"

"It's not a lazy eye, he's winking."

"Whatever keeps you happy."

"I haven't had someone to celebrate Christmas with in so long I decided to attempt a gingerbread man. They may not be pretty, but at least they taste good. They could be like the ones I made for Will a few years ago. Poor things were completely burnt and he ate them all because he didn't want to hurt my feelings. It was possibly the funniest thing to watch him keep a smile while swallowing them. He just kept saying 'Oh yea, these are great!'"

"That's…wonderful."

The two were silent for a moment. Small beams of sun began to shoot through the blinds and hit the cookie men like a spotlight. Jigen took the "winking" one and stared at it. He wasn't enjoying the fact that these cookies had a back story with a guy he didn't care for too much. Taking a bite, he wasn't going to be one to disappoint her either.

"So," Jess continued like she hadn't been watching, "what are you all doing here anyways?"

"Job, hey this actually doesn't suck."

"I was going for not sucking, so that's good. What kind of object are ya'll looking at?"

"Uh, some kind of key thing. I wasn't really paying attention."

"Sir Francis Drake key?"

"Yea, how'd you know?"

"The woman who owns it likes to do a lot of talking. She's one of those crazy old women who live all by herself in a giant house with lots of cats. OK, I made up that part about the cats, but that's how I imagine it. What I don't understand is why you would come all the way out here for a key. Sure it's pretty with its little rubies, but it's not worth all that much really."

"You seem to know a lot about it."

"I know a lot of things. For example, I know you guys shouldn't bother with it."

"Why?"

"It isn't worth it."

"She obviously doesn't know what it leads to," Jigen thought to himself. It amused him, though, watching her swirl her coffee and speaking as if she was so sure of herself. Her one eye brow would always rise as if to make a point. He had almost forgotten it.

"What time do you need to get back?"

"Yesterday."

"I think you're going to be a bit late."

"Yea, well as girly as Lupin is sometimes, he's not my mom."

"Whoa," the young woman exclaimed putting her hand to her head, "I just had a weird vision of Lupin in a sundress and apron. I'm not going to lie; it's cute. Hahaha."

"Hey, whatever gets you going. As for myself, I guess I ought to get my ass going in the direction of the house."

Jigen set down his now empty cup and made his way to the living room where he had left his clothing. It only took a few moments for him to get dressed as it mainly consisted of running his hand through his hair and throwing his hat on his head. From the doorway to the kitchen he noticed the silhouette of the living ghost leaning against the frame and clutching her bathrobe tight.

"Will you come back?"

"That's up to you."

"Looks like I'll be seeing a lot of you then."

Releasing her grasp on her robe, Jess moved towards the disheveled man but instead of stopping in front of him, she merely stepped around him towards the door. Just like seven years prior, Jigen found himself on the confused end as to her intentions. Jess had those eyes that would never stay in one place for too long and a body language that always betrayed her words. She would remain the only person he could never read. For now, though, she stood by the front door with slight disappointment in her eyes. Jess should be more careful; her true feelings could be revealed.

"Well," the gunman said trying to stall the inevitable, "I'll come by tomorrow, if that's OK?"

"Yes, it'll be Christmas, but please, I implore you to leave the key alone and promise me you won't tell anyone I'm here, much less alive."

"OK," he replied with a smirk.

"No, really."

"Alright."

Although he was amused by her assuredness in worth of the ruby key, Jigen would keep his word on not telling about her living status. He wasn't about to jeopardize losing her if telling meant she'd turn into a flight risk again.

The walk home was surreal as the gunman let the events of the night unfold slowly through his mind. To see a person whom he was quite sure was gone forever was more than a shock but it seemed almost too star-crossed for Shakespeare. He wasn't a man who saw church as necessary, but when events such as this happened, he couldn't help but think someone was behind it.

"Hey man, where the hell were you?"

"Huh?"

Jigen had walked the whole way back to the house and through the door without ever so much as thinking as a way to explain his whereabouts. His mind had been too preoccupied with thoughts about the brunette he had left behind. Now he found himself with more attention than he preferred as three sets of eyes waited for an answer.

"So what was it man? Did you find yourself a warm beer and a warm body last night?"

"Hmmm."

"I knew it! I hear those German girls are freaky…hot and freaky…" The tangent would have continued in such a fashion if the master thief hadn't been smacked by the pouting woman sitting next to him to which he replied with a, "ouch!"

"As much as the knowledge of local females is seemingly interesting, I would like to remind everyone that we have a date with a key in two hours," the voice of reason in samurai attire remarked.

"Goemon is right," Lupin continued without skipping a beat, "local women are always interesting, but it is one woman that will be of particular interest to us today."

By this point Jigen had sat down inconspicuously without receiving anymore questions as to his disappearance. Leaning in, he listened intently as his best friend explained the plan for the heist one more time. This would be step one in what would hopefully lead to their greatest take ever; it would be to his benefit to actually pay attention.

As morning turned into early afternoon, the snow began to melt and reveal the mysterious nature of the Black Forrest region. Between the shadows of the area and up a winding rode went a large van with some very professional looking German written on its side. Inside, four people peered out watching the landscape of evergreens and mossy rocks fly by, but where quickly discouraged from enjoying it due to the curvy and queasy nature of the road. Car sickness aside, they arrived at their destination quickly upon pulling up to a large cast iron gate.

"Excuse me," a blond woman exclaimed out the window of the van, "we're here for the interview of Frau Schneider. We made an appointment a week ago."

"Ja! We have been expecting you," the speaker box to which the woman had directed her comment to replied. "Please drive through and we'll meet you at the door."

The person to whom the speaker box voice belonged to was revealed upon knocking on the large wooden door. A small woman appeared after a seemingly rough struggle to open the gargantuan entry way. While she looked like any other old woman, it was what behind her that caught the four's attention.

As the far as the eye could see into the expansive mansion was covered by a pulsing movement. Unsure what they were entering into, each member of the group stayed close to their hostess. But, as they're eyes adjusted to the dim light the realization of what the constant stirring was became evident. Cats; the entire place was covered with cats! People had always joked about old woman living with a bunch of cats, but this was ridiculous. There had to be at least 300 of the purring felines around the house and it wasn't helping the nerves of the guests as they began to feel the rubbing of the curious kitties on their legs.

"You said you wanted to do a piece on my ruby key, right?"

"Oh," the blond woman snapped out of trance and carried on as though the sight of hundreds of cats was a normal occurrence, "yes, we're from the local T.V. station and found your little treasure a good subject for one of our segments. This is my crew," she indicated to the three men behind her, "we'll try and be as quick as possible so as not to take up much of your time."

"Very well, follow me."

The old woman led them to an adjacent room from the large foyer they had entered in. It was rather odd that a solid gold key with rubies wasn't kept in a more secure location, but this lady didn't seem like the sanest of people. With a small sweep of her hand, Frau Schneider revealed the key which lay on a small pedestal in the large room. A thin box of glass surrounded the object, but nothing else stood in the way of the four thieves and the prize.

"O my, it's gorgeous!" Fujiko exclaimed upon seeing it. With so little in her way now, she wanted to get this done quickly, plus the blond wig was beginning to itch. "If you don't mind, I'll just have them set up and we'll be out as soon as we're done."

"No problem," the Frau replied stepping away from the "crew."

The three men set to work as they set up their equipment while Fujiko looked on. While it looked like what they were carrying were real lights, boom mics and cameras, they were merely props to their disguise. Smirks could be seen from each of the four thieves at the relative ease at which this heist was, but the confidence left when they felt the floor rumble.

All about the bewildered men and woman bars shot up from the ground till they slammed into the ceiling above. They were close enough so that none of them could get through, but wide enough so that they could see the source of the trap step out from behind a plush curtain.

"HA HA! I finally got you, you bastard!"

"Oh friggin A…Zenigata…"

"That's right, Lupin. Oh, and I wouldn't get your Zantesuken out so fast Goemon. I had the nerds down at Interpol make a special metal just for your sword. Try and cut through and you'll find yourself a samurai without a usable weapon."

"Damn it," Goemon murmured sheathing his weapon.

"What is it about this key that is so special to you huh?"

Zenigata picked up the object of interest and waved it in front of the thieves who stood still scowling. The Inspector's gloating ended though when the key slipped from his hand and broke in half upon hitting the floor.

"What the hell? It's solid gold! Solid gold doesn't break if it's dropped!"

Both the Frau and Inspector bent close to the "key" as the four members in the cage craned their necks in an effort to see as well. There is lay, the subject of all their work here in Germany, broken on the ground. It wasn't the ruby key at all; someone had been there before them.

"Inspector what is the meaning of this?" Frau Schneider fumed, "I thought you said the thieves were these four but obviously you were wrong. Someone replaced my precious key with…" the woman picked up half of the destroyed decoy and sniffed it discretely, "GINGERBREAD!"

"Gingerbread!" echoed the four in cage.

"Yes, someone replaced my key with a gingerbread copy. You better find who did…"

"Uh, listen 'mam…my uh, specialty is Lupin so you'll uh, have to talk to someone else about that…OK men come on in and take these crooks to their new living arrangements. I hope you guys like stripes."

"INSPECTOR!"

"I'm sorry; have to go take care of these four and all…uh, yea…bye!"

"_Cat_ got your tongue Pops?"

"Shut the hell up, Lupin."

What was supposed to be one the easiest jobs the gang had ever performed turned into one of their few and far between captures. They always escaped, that wasn't the problem, it was the fact that another thief had gotten to the key before them and had taken it without being caught. It was evident that it weighed heavily on everyone's mind as the four sat in the holding cell of the local police station. Each to a corner, they all pondered how they could have beaten.

Fujiko refused to look at the men she had depended on and merely faced the wall and sulked with her arms crossed. Goemon closed his eyes and tried to clear the anger that was clouding his mind while Lupin was throwing a slight tantrum at having been bested. The only one who wasn't shaded with frustration was Jigen who sat quietly pondering.

Something wasn't sitting right, something about the gingerbread. It almost seemed ironic that Jess had told him to leave the key alone as he now found himself locked in a cell. Wait, she had warned him against it. In a flash, the realization washed over the gunman as his eyes began to widen. The key had been made out of gingerbread; he could still taste the gingerbread man she had made him that morning. Of course, and the cats, she had even mentioned she knew about the cats. She said it offhand, but covered herself well. Why didn't he see it before? Jess would never say outright that she had stolen it; she was trying to drop hints the whole time.

"Oh, well friggin'…"

"Save the cursing for the maximum security please."

A young policewoman had stopped by the cell, opened the door and motioned for the group to get up. With a few words to the other officers, she led them to a car in which the thieves were to be transported. No one was in a mood for talking, not even Lupin who would have usually made a sly remark to the officer.

Landscape flew by quickly as the car tumbled across the highway towards the jail. Lupin was already planning their escape. He knew that he could easily get through via disguise, but the moment would probably have to wait a few days. It was a shame they would have to be incarcerated over Christmas. Every possible idea sprang to mind as a way to get out before tomorrow, but the thief's train of thought was broken when the car stopped in front of the house the gang had made their hideout this past month.

"You all may want these back." To add to the bafflement, the officer who had taken them from the jail threw to each their respective weapon.

"I don't believe it, it's a set up," the marksman exclaimed.

"Yea," Lupin cut in as he leaned towards the front seat, "what's the catch?"

"No catch, just have a good holiday and enjoy the gingerbread."


	4. International Thief? OK!

Who Wouldn't Want to be an International Thief?

Complete disbelief was the only way to describe the looks on the four thieves' faces. After an assured capture and jail time, they now stood in front of their house, weapons in hand and it was all thanks to the police officer in the car. She didn't even look at them as if asking for something in return, much less turn in their direction.

"Do we know you?" Lupin inquired as he leaned closer to the car window to get a better look at her face.

"No, I don't exist." Her own remark produced a smile on the mysterious woman's face, but led to the rest of the group to be a little taken aback. One, it was an odd comment to make, but damn if her voice didn't sound familiar.

"I'm sorry my dear," Lupin continued recovering from the confusion and pulling out his gun, "but this is one mystery I'm going to have to go Nancy Drew on."

With a few quick shots, the air in the tires of the car escaped in four quick hisses. The policewoman got out upon realizing what he had done and stood by her disabled vehicle with her back turned. With a fit of anger she threw off her hat letting the pinned up dark brown hair fall down just passed her shoulders and mumbled some kind of German curses under her breath.

"You know," she finally remarked, "for someone so smart, you don't know when to leave good enough alone.

"I can't place it; how do I know you?"

At that point the strange woman finally turned around revealing her true identity. The hair, the voice, the sarcastic attitude; it was a woman that they were all sure had died seven years ago. The hard stare she produced raced quickly over each person who stood in complete shock at the living ghost. The only person who didn't share in the wide eyed astonishment was Jigen, although he was surprised she had put her neck out to rescue them.

"Jessica?" Lupin began to walk closer and reached out his hand to make sure she was real. He was quite assured of this face when she swatted his hand away."

"Cut that out, I'm real."

"Just making sure, care to explain your rise from the grave?"

"It seems I have no choice." Jess looked over at the other members of the group. Fujiko continued to keep her mouth slightly gaping at the site of newly discovered girl. Goemon had finally regained command over his reaction and was attempting to reason out the situation in his mind. The last person her eyes rested on was Jigen who shot her a look of 'why?'

It was a good unvocalized question to which she didn't have a definite answer.

Jess was ushered into the house and brought to a room where she was allowed to sit. It was uncharacteristic of her not to take stalk of her surroundings, but she really didn't care what the house's décor was right now. Sitting was the last thing on her mind as she stood, arms folded, staring at the smirking man in red.

The other three members of the group had all taken a chair on the opposite side of the room from Jess. They knew it would be wise and a benefit to their health to keep their mouths shut at this moment. Lupin was one of the most brilliant thieves in the world while Jess had one of the quickest whits known. It was about to get really interesting.

"Well Casper, what brings you back from the dead?"

"It's obviously not your looks. Nice sideburns by the way."

"Ouch, I didn't know cheap shots were your style. I assume you hold some hostility."

"You say it like you don't know. Then again, you are a man so I guess that entitles you to dumbfoundment. The thing is I overheard you and Fujiko speaking on the subject of my forced recruitment into the Lupin gang. Apparently merely asking is beyond you."

The two men behind Lupin glanced over at the embarrassed vixen. Both of the men had always preferred the woman standing on the other side of the room to the one sitting next to them as the former had never betrayed them. If Fujiko thought it was hard to manipulate the samurai and gunman before, it was going to be near impossible now.

"Would you have joined if I had asked?"

"That's a question that is far too late to ask. What you don't realize is that I nearly died due to your secretive activities."

"Died? But I set you up with someone who I expected to look over you…"

"Well, he did watch me lie there, but that's about all in the looking over me department."

"Why didn't you say something then?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

For a moment, both the master thief and brunette were silent. Lupin was disappointed that a detail this large had gone undetected. Jess, for her part, had released most of her pent up anger by now and was now a bit ashamed at her vindictive rage that seemed a bit unfounded.

"You had to know I wanted you to join us. In fact, I was counting on you being very valuable with your medical skills."

"Lupin, I don't want to argue anymore."

"Very well, but I must know how you came to be our little rescuer."

There it was; the knowing smirk with the one raised eye brow. She had done the exact same thing when Jigen had mentioned the heist. It garnered enough attention to make the other three lean forward so as not to miss a word.

"Because I had a pretty good inclination you were all going to get caught. You must understand; I knew the key wasn't going to be there."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Because I stole it and put the gingerbread copy in its place."

Her eyes widened with some kind of wild pride and slight satisfaction at seeing the other people in the room back to their state of surprise.

"You what?"

"To be fair, I had no idea you all were after the same object until I had already stolen it."

"How did you know we were going to steal it then?"

"Jigen told me."

"What!" Lupin turned around on his heels and threw his gaze in his best friend's direction. "You knew she was alive and didn't say anything!"

"She told me not to say a word and no offence, I'm more afraid of what she could do to me than you." The gunman shot a smirk over to the woman in question who responded with a broad smile.

"How long did _you_ know she was alive?" Lupin continued.

"Um, a day more than you. When I went to the bar last night, she was there too. It was friggin' fate or something."

"Oh," the master thief remarked as a sneer appeared on his face, "is that what you were _doing_ last night."

"Hey man, you shut the hell up," Jigen growled as he gripped the arms of the chair.

"Hmmm." Lupin was not getting anywhere fast and in the process he was going to piss off his bodyguard and best friend, which is never a healthy idea. This was obviously a matter he had to discuss with the hostile ghost-reborn in private. "Jess, please follow me."

"Um, OK…" As the man in red left the sitting room, the woman he directed his comment towards followed. Within a group she could draw strength but one on ones were a bit trickier. The further and further she got from other members of the gang made her more and more worried. "You aren't going to take me out back and shoot me, are you?"

"Ha, no, but I'm glad you haven't lost the painful dry humor…or your figure." The last part of his statement was made with the usual up and down check over as he motioned for her to take a chair. Jess would normally have responded with an appropriate slap to the face, but as he immediately went to business, she withheld.

"Tell me Miss Abraham, wait, you still are a miss right? I don't see a ring so…"

"Yes, I'm still single…let's not talk about that."

"Right; now I have had many people angry with me, but none of them I ever regretted. I understand something happened that wasn't supposed to happen…"

"I almost died…for real."

"Jessica, had I known I would have killed the man myself."

"What?"

"My friends are the ones I depend on with my life and they expect the same out of me. You were literally dropped in front of us and although I'm not a religious man, I know a sign when I see it. As you know, we are an eclectic group of people with personalities all over the spectrum. But you…you could talk to each of us like you had always been there. Goemon would actually listen to you instead of just closing his eyes and tuning out, Jigen finally had someone give him a taste of his own medicine; hell, even Fujiko enjoyed the presence of another woman every now and then."

"I don't understand; that's really nice and all, but what does that have to do with anything now?"

"I want you to reconsider joining us."

Jess didn't answer. Turning her face towards her lap, she tried to realize what just occurred. How in the world could she go from obscurity to international thievery? She had left that life the day she "died" and thought that would be the end of it. No, she had kept stealing objects of great desire even after leaving. Was it a sign?

"I didn't just make the girl with a comeback to everything speechless, did I?"

"I…I just don't know what to say."

"A yes would be nice. I noticed that you continued on and became a doctor like you planned." Lupin indicated to her necklace of the scepter with the dual snakes twisting around it. It was a gift upon graduating from medical school from her former fiancé, Will. "We're arranging a grand heist that has the potential to be very dangerous and to have someone with your knowledge would be greatly beneficial. Plus, you already possess the first key…you sly dog."

"How long will this take?"

"To gather all the keys…I'm thinking 6 months to a full year."

"I don't have that kind of time, I have a job and..."

"I'm Lupin the 3rd."

It was true, that's all he really had to say. Lupin had a knack for making whatever he wanted happen. His connections were far reaching and powerful. There was no real response to such a statement so all Jess had left was breathe a soft, "OK."

"Wonderful, don't worry about a thing and for your troubles you will receive a fair share."

"Very well," the defeated but inwardly elated brunette remarked, "but there are two things I must ask."

"Shoot."

"First; why didn't you just find someone else to replace me?"

"To be honest, no one (including myself) wanted to find someone to take your place. That and the fact that I'm quite sure a certain marksman would have put a bullet in my head. You know, I think he still…"

"Lupin, shut up."

"Fine fine, but what else did you want to know?"

"Oh," Jess continued, "why did you have to bring me into your office to ask me these things?"

"I'm not going to pretty much admit I was in the wrong in front of those guys, they'd never let me forget about it."

"Don't worry; I'll take on that burden of reminding you daily."

"Oh, great…"

As the conversation had proceeded in the office, the remaining three had stayed in the sitting room. For awhile they were silent, and the men could have easily kept it that way, but Fujiko was finding it extremely uncomfortable.

"Are we even sure it's really her? I mean she could just be some woman who's trying to take all the money for herself."

"It wouldn't be anything different than what you've done," Goemon replied coldly. "As for her being someone other than whom she says she is, I highly doubt she could pull it off in close contact with Lupin."

"Whatever, I'm just putting it out there. Although, I guess I'm asking the wrong person since someone spent the night with her…"

Up until being addressed, Jigen had kept his gaze in the direction to which the Lupin and Jess had left. He hadn't really cared to pay attention to the woman who still remained in the room with him as he had other thoughts racing through his mind. But, upon being indirectly spoken to, he responded flatly, "You friggin' shut your mouth about things you don't know anything about."

"Why do you look off like that, huh?" Fujiko continued in a bating tone, "You don't think she still holds a flame for you, do you? It's been seven years, she's moved on."

Jigen didn't respond and merely got up and walked to the opposite side of the room and looked out the window. Hands in his pockets, he assumed the posture of complete lack of caring of what his antagonist had to say, although he was now forced to think about it.

"You know," Goemon whispered to Fujiko after the gunman had walked away, "not every woman is like you."

By this point, the duo that had left finally returned. They could have cut the tension with a butter knife, but it was all cleared up when Lupin decided to decree the new addition. The reaction was mixed as it produced indifference from Goemon, subtle interest from Jigen, and shock from Fujiko. The latter seemed ready to make an objection, but held it in as if a voice in her head told her it would be unwise.

"Since we now indirectly acquired the first key, we can now move to get the second one," the master thief continued in order to change the tone in the room.

"Where is it located?"

"Scotland: home of Nessy, golf, and creepy man skirts."

"Really?" Jess inquired, "Might I suggest a place to stay?"


	5. Alone With The Competition

Alone With The Competition

How peculiar it was to sit so close to someone and yet have them feel miles away. When all plans had been set back in Germany, the five thieves set out on their next job in Scotland. The plane ride was quite short in which no one really spoke aside from the few giggles of Fujiko and Lupin who managed to find any place a good place to flirt. The other three remained silent, which continued on during their car ride from the airport to this mystery residence. It was this ride that led one man in dark attire to wonder our preliminary statement.

As Jess was the only one who knew where their new lodging would be, she sat in the front in order to give directions. At this knowledge, Lupin claimed himself too tired from the flight to drive and asked if Jigen instead would do the honor.

"Whatever man, I just don't want to hear any friggin' nonsense going on behind me."

"Fine, fine; just make sure to listen to our navigator over there."

Lupin indicated towards the vehicle into which Jess was already waiting quietly.

"I haven't heard her speak all day, you sure she really wants to be here?"

"Yes, now suck it up and drive."

"Why don't you just suck it up instead?"

"Because I'm just trying to do you a favor, now be a man and put some of your…well you don't have any charm so do the opposite of what you usually do around women."

"Stop trying to do me any friggin' favors! You always think you know what's right, but you know what? You…"

"Are you two done being ridiculous or do I need to put you in timeout?"

While the two had begun to argue due to Lupin's need to play matchmaker and Jigen's overall awkwardness towards the newly resurrected Jess, Goemon had lost a bit of his patience and had finally stepped in. The two men stepped back giving each other looks one step away from involving a tongue being stuck out. Jigen did in fact take the wheel and glanced towards the woman who seemed to be more interested in the clouds in the sky than anything that was going on in the vehicle.

"Hey, which way do we need to…?"

"I'm sorry."

She had overheard the argument pertaining to her and had assumed herself slightly unwelcome. Her quick and curt response had startled the gunman, but the surprise led swiftly to embarrassment at her meaning. He hadn't meant it that way at all but as everyone in the back leaned towards the front to listen, Jigen merely said, "Fine then, which way?"

With a weighty sigh of disappointed astonishment from Lupin, the group was off. The odd silence hung in the air like a heavy perfume that refused to diffuse. In fact, the only person to break the awkward stillness was Fujiko.

"Jess, you're dog keeps licking me, what is its problem?"

The brunette in the front had made it priority to bring her precious canine as she had found arrangements in Scotland for him to be taken care of. Since it was impossible to drag her furry friend all over the globe with her due to the nature of her business, measures had to be taken.

"Don't worry, he's merely tasting you."

"Oh, ok…wait, what!"

Jess had said it so smoothly and without a hint of joking that it sounded as if it were a perfectly acceptable explanation. It was enough to make everyone in the car laugh and even allowed Jess herself to finally crack a smile. This small moment of ease ended, though, when they had finally reached their destination.

Although everyone in the car made a movement to get out, they were discouraged from such an action just yet as Jess got out and made her way to the front door. It gave everyone else a moment to see their new surroundings.

The house itself was obviously newly built, probably in the last two years. Two stories tall with a steep sloping roof made it seem some what gloomy, but that feeling could also be due to the fact it was a very cloudy day. It was quite large as well, though not so much to be considered a mansion. If it had been built bigger it would have seemed too showy and unfitting to its surroundings. As to the grounds, they were the epitome of the usual Scottish landscape. Large trees seemed to stand as sentinels on each side of the manor, lending their dark shadows as a veil of protection. It was an overall dark place with small bits of color being sparked by the few wildflowers that managed to survive the shadows. In the middle of all this murkiness, though, stood a woman who seemed a rather small figure moments away from being eaten up by the looming dwelling.

"Why do you suppose she wanted us to stay in the car?" a confused Fujiko finally asked while watching the girl knock on the door.

"I would assume she may not have told whoever lives here exactly who we are," Goemon responded.

"Maybe she's ashamed of us," Jigen added. "Hell, I'd be ashamed of us."

"No, it's not that. Notice how she stands off to the side. If she were ashamed of us she'd stand in front of the car to keep it from view."

"Hey you three, keep it down." Lupin interjected, "I'm trying to hear what's going on out there."

It was true, during the course of their conversation, the door had finally opened to reveal the owner of the establishment. He was a tall man, probably a good head and a half taller than Jess. His hair was jet black and cut in such a fashion that he seemed as though it almost seemed messy, but it was actually quite clean cut. As for his face, it wore an uncaring expression but it lit up as soon as he laid eyes on his mysterious door visitor.

"Lupin, do you know this man?" Fujiko inquired softly.

"No, but Jess told me he is a very close friend of hers."

"Hmmm, very close indeed," muttered the frowning man in the driver's seat.

None of the occupants in the car knew the man standing at the door aside from Jigen. He had met him once before during a very awkward moment about seven years prior. Never in his life did he imagine he'd see Will again.

The conversation at the door seemed to go smoothly until Jess motioned towards the car and all at once Will's face turned sour at whatever she had to say. Her facial expressions and hand gestures transformed from greeting to pleading, which seemed to change the tall man's mind. The two then gave each other a hug, but what happened next was both comical and puzzling.

After they released from their embrace Jess looked up sweetly and began to step away, but Will began to lean down slowly in order to take a little more from the brunette. With a clean and subtle swoop of the hand, Jess stopped him as if she had planned it the entire time. Will came up confused and assumed the position nothing happened, although he looked awkwardly towards the car and then stepped quickly inside the house.

Everyone in the car chuckled at the little moment of rejection, but the biggest smile belonged to the man who had been frowning so unhappily before.

Due to their long flight and car ride, everyone who had made the trip was quite tired. Each had been cordially shown to their respective sleeping quarters so, but the time midnight had rolled around the only two souls still awake were Jess and Will. While it was quite cold out, the two found comfort by standing outside on the porch. Conversation and hot chocolate were enough to keep the former couple warm.

"Jessica, I don't know how you get me to do these types of things."

"It's because of my lovely charm, no one can resist," Jess responded innocently with a chuckle. "I never did understand why you always called me Jessica. I never thought it suited me."

"I find it perfect, in fact I find_ you_ perfect."

Jess' face turned quickly from content to annoyance. In the back of her mind she knew conversation with her former fiancé would turn to this, but she had hoped it would have been later. The true question was why she insisted on coming here. To be fair, she knew the answer to that question as well, but it was for selfish reasons so Jess felt uncomfortable sharing.

"Honey, we've been over this. I rather you not say such things."

"Then why do you make it so hard by coming here?"

"You know perfectly well it was not my intention to make 'so hard.'"

"But you knew it would."

"I told you why I'm here and I only ask that you be kind to my… associates," Jess responded coldly in an attempt to maintain composure.

"That's right; you can't even call them your friends, can you?

"Will…"

"No really; you asked for my help in getting away from them and now seven years later you insist they're alright again. You're not letting this thief thing run you are you? No, I know what this is about. This is pertaining to what I found out. The truth that those pictures you take with you carry."

"Stop it! Now listen: I have thanked you over and over for all the help you gave me, but there is no changing the way the heart goes. We've discussed this to high heaven and I rather not bring it up. There are just some words better unheard, better unsaid."

She was being cruel, and while she would feel bad about it later, she had learned long ago that it was the only sure way to stop a man from going too far in this way. Luckily she was saved from further being harsh when the door opened behind her.

"Oh sorry, I didn't know anyone was out here…"

"Jigen! Wonderful, because I was just leaving and Will seems to have a need to talk. Please oblige him with your presence as I'm sure Will would be ecstatic to speak with you!"

"Uh…"

"Just do as she says. She's angry with me for telling the truth."

All that was heard in response from the brunette was a bunch of mumbled German curses and a slam of a door upstairs. Will looked wistfully up at where her room was and shook his head. Wiping the sadness from his face he turned towards his new companion.

"You'd never guess she was American due to all her German cursing."

"I know she's American," Jigen mumbled while lighting a cigarette, but continued quickly, "I didn't know you two were out here. I was just looking for a place to smoke."

"Its fine, but you better not do it around Jessica. She hates smoking."

"I know."

The two were silent for a long while, or at least it seemed that way because of the ill at ease tension between the two. Each remembered the other and had a hard time not recalling the circumstances under which it was. It was safe to say it concerned the door slamming girl upstairs.

"You don't care for me, do you friend?" Without waiting for an answer, Will continued, "I don't expect you to, but it must be known that I carry much distaste for you as well."

While putting this man in his place would have seemed like a great idea, the gunman was in no mood for starting something when all he had wanted to do was get his nicotine fix. It was obvious Jess had had her anger sparked and unleashed a bit of her eyebrow raising verbal lashing. Jigen himself had been on the receiving end of one before and could slightly sympathize, but then he realized who he was sympathizing with.

"Listen, you don't want to lose your head over a girl."

"Normally I'd insist on you to take that back, but she isn't mine to defend anymore."

"She seems to have been living on her own for a while. I think she can manage." It was half an attempt to make Will stop talking to him and the other half to convince himself that Jess was in fact alright.

"Yes, but she has a great proclivity towards getting into trouble."

"Tell me about it. If there was a single tack thrown out on a football field, she'd manage to step on it in the first friggin' stride she took."

"Yes! And the cursing that ensues always manages to make quite the scene. But then in five minutes she's ready to move on as if nothing happened."

The two, for a moment, were able to share a smirk at their subject's expense, but it was only for a moment. Jigen extinguished his cigarette and left quickly without saying good night. Being friends with this man wasn't a goal of his. Will understood it too. Each of them wanted the same thing, and to be friends in rivalry is about as smart as turning one's back on a hungry lion.

Sleep has the ability to clear the problems of the previous day, but sometimes a dilemma is so obstructing of one's thoughts, that it manages to carry on morning after morning. Some of us drag these for years, and Jess was no different.

In the morning, as she had now taken to waking early, the young woman had her time to reflect on all the build up of life. Sitting at the small oak table, the first streaks of clear light shown through to give her an angelic glow. Small wisps of her dark brown hair outlined the worry on her face. Life was presenting new aspects to consider, but the past had a tendency to hurt her no matter where she went. Running away was becoming a tiring event. It was of no concern, she had company now.

"I forgot you liked to wake up early too, Goemon."

"It seems I have interrupted your thoughts. Does something weigh heavy on your mind?"

"I'm not going to lie and say no, but its nothing. Please come and chat with me."

"Very well."

The samurai sat down across from the girl who had been sitting solo before he had come. She wore a soft smile, but it was forced due to the nature of her previous thoughts. He had to admit, though, he had missed seeing her everyday. She'd always been one of the few people he could tolerate long conversations with.

"I don't think they care for me much."

"Who?"

"You were there; you know who I'm referring to."

"I believe you should not take that at face value and possibly consider the hidden meaning."

"I'm afraid it is too early for me to think in such a manner. I'd have to ask for you to explain."

"Consider the fact that Lupin wanted you here, therefore why would he show hostility towards you? It is a known fact you will leave a place you feel unwelcome very quickly as we found out some years ago."

"True enough; I am a bit stubborn in that respect."

"Exactly, as for Jigen, well we'll leave that alone for now."

"You know," Jess remarked with a chuckle, "I could easily learn to hate you."

"And why is that?"

"Because you're always right; you should feel proud. You're the only man I allow to admit he's right since I know you won't be an ass about it."

"I believe I'm supposed to take that as a compliment."

"You should have learned a long time ago my compliments are always off hand, but I always mean them."

Silence permeated through the two at the table. While unspoken, a knowing glance was enough to punctuate the truth to her meaning. Jess always preferred speaking in person so as to let on her hidden connotation.

"You were missed greatly."

"Yes, you mustn't tell the others, but I missed you all as well. There were many nights I laid awake regretting my decision, but then I realized it was over and done with. Anything would have been better than what happened in northern England…"

She had let her lips take a walk through her thoughts and had finally caught herself and indicated her mistake with a clasp over her mouth.

"What happened in northern England?" Goemon asked cautiously.

Due to her sudden change in demeanor and inability to look the samurai in the eye, Goemon assumed it was the same subject that plagued her mind with noticeable worry this morning before she noticed his presence. Color immersed quickly to her cheeks at the embarrassment of letting on too much. Before Goemon could ask anything more, though, Jess had gotten up and left to take her shower and get ready for the day.

"Whoa, what's up with her?" a sleepy Lupin asked after encountering the girl as she moved with haste up the stairs.

"I…don't know," Goemon responded.

Dedicated To Kim and Her Bread Making Vagina

BTW - It has nothing to do with this story.


	6. A Silly Story and a Favor

A Silly Story and a Favor

"Let me tell you a story my fine, fluffy friend. Now, it is quite long and involved, but I will try and give you a summary. Luckily for you, the main character is very familiar so you won't have to use your imagination, but I will ask you to stop drooling on me."

By this point, a week had passed since the thieves' somewhat uncomfortable arrival in Scotland. While I would love to say the January weather had been cooperative, it would be a lie. But, as it happened, on the first decent day, Jess left the tense mood of the house to walk around the stretch of boggy land with her canine companion. Even though Will insisted upon them staying with him, he rarely, if ever, spoke to anyone aside from herself. Then, when he did speak with her it was always unlike himself. For ages he had been laid back and calm no matter the situation, but for some reason he had taken to unnerving silences and awkward glances in any direction but her own. It probably didn't help that she had resorted to her reclusive nature due to the ill at ease she still had around the gang who had accompanied her. Yet, it didn't matter at the moment as she had an audience and the freedom to be silly.

"Blitz," Jess continued in an airy tone of remembrance, "there once was a girl who lived a very uneventful life. This was usually spotted with bits of crappiness, possibly a laugh or two – the normal existence I suppose. After a very odd trip to the Smithsonian, she found herself surrounded by strange men who lived negative uneventful lives. Catch the drift my dear? Anyways, weighing her options to either stay in sucky existence or sweet adventure, the girl accepted an invitation to travel a bit with them. Suddenly, everything got f-ed up! The girl's piece of shit ex-boyfriend got wind of her involvement with the thieves and called her out to the feds, so now she couldn't go back…ever."

Her own statement made Jess stop her rambling for a moment and look up. The crisp air burned her eyes a bit to look straight into the wind as she did. Home wasn't something she was used to thinking about recently, but she laughed it off like most things and continued on.

"I'm sorry my dear, I slightly depressed myself. I really ought to pay attention to what I say, huh? I'll try and stay on track, I promise. Let's see, yes; well the girl's new friends offered to take care of her and send her to college as she had planned. A doctor she would be, but that's of little importance. Well, it must be understood the girl had an independence complex and was also offered a chance to train and strike it out on her own away from the adventuresome people discussed earlier. Following? Please feel free to bark if you are falling behind. Well to discontinue the longevity of this story, she found out she had been tricked and fled with her very good friend, Will. You know Will don't you? He's the one who gave you to me because he's quite sure I need the protection since…well, that's another story. Oh yea, and somewhere in there she fell in love, but you don't care do you? Blitz?

Halfway through Jess' little narration on her life, the dog had lost interest in his master's voice, which had been the only thing keeping him near her. At the moment a small rodent seemed more interesting.

"Damn you, you little traitor. I was talking to you!" Jess yelled. "Who the hell is going to listen to my insane rambling now, huh?"

"Well, I've listened to it for years. The dog is probably just tuning you out; it's a little trick I taught him."

Appearing from over the hill she had just crossed, Jess looked quickly behind her to see the familiar man whose land she tread. He looked actually quite adorable as he approached with his usual swagger and sideways smile. It was also quite nice to see him looking at her rather than some distant object.

"Will," Jess exclaimed trying to collect herself, "I didn't know you were into sneaking up on unsuspecting people."

"I didn't know you were into crazily talking to yourself," he replied with a smile.

"I was not! I was talking to Blitz, but he rejected me for a squirrel. Honestly, a squirrel? Please. Obviously I'm far more interesting than that future road kill."

"Obviously," Will remarked with his usual sarcastic tone.

"I don't need your crap, there's a perfectly good squirrel over there that I'm sure would be quite happy to have my company."

"It's nice to see you're talking to me again."

The two were silent for a moment and allowed for their situation to sink in. While the wind blew hard and cold every few moments, their stances were as rigid as oaks. Eyes refused to meet and there was half temptation to just leave, but hearts warm quickly after so many years of trust.

"I'm sorry for the way I have been treating you."

"It's understandable. What I said was both quite creepy and ridiculous. I just ask that you dust it off as merely a moment of weakness on my part."

"I will and have; shall we continue and pretend the incident never happened?"

"I'd prefer it as so, but my purpose in following you up this hill in this insane weather was not to apologize. I was actually sent to fetch you as your presence is required by your…uh, comrades?"

"We aren't communists, don't call us that," Jess remarked with a smirk.

"That's right; you're people were the fascists…so sorry."

"And the men of your people wear skirts."

"Touché…There is one thing you must explain to me, though," Will continued as he began the walk back with the brunette, "are you sure you made the right decision with incorporating yourself with them again?"

"I'm never sure of anything aside from the fact that I have natural brown hair and that I am female…also the fact that my breasts are quite real."

Although the statement was meant as a joke to throw him off, Will remained constant to his line of questioning.

"Seriously though, you are avoiding them like the plague. For my own part, I don't understand why you'd make yourself so uncomfortable."

"I guess I'm just following my selfish desire on this one. You know, for as much as those medical TV shows make it seem like being a doctor is very exciting, it is quite far from the truth."

"What are you talking about? I know after I do all the charts on my patients I'm in pure exhilaration."

"Haha, yea paperwork is my favorite as well; that and the constant threat of being sued. No, I just needed that thrill again."

"I never knew you had quit your thieving."

"Well, I didn't, but this is the kind on a grander scale. I wasn't able to try something like this because I had to stay hidden, but since there is no point for that anymore it's now or never I guess."

"I don't understand how they discovered your whereabouts. You're more elusive than the one sock who always manages to get lost in the dryer."

"I let myself be found. I saw the one you have a particular fondness for from afar and slipped him a note. He threatened my life, blah blah blah, long story short; I saved them from being locked up on Christmas."

"I don't care for that man."

"Who? Jigen? He just takes some getting used to, I suppose."

"He reminds me of those curs in Manchester."

Will had always detested the way the girl to his side was treated in Manchester, a city in the north of England. Every time it was mentioned, his mouth would tighten and a shadowy look would come about him. The subject had to be sidestepped to escape the awkwardness that would usually follow, so Jess continued on to keep his mind on track.

"No, no, dear; he's rough around the edges and all, but he actually has a heart. In fact, you and he are actually quite alike. Both sarcastic as all hell and perpetual worriers – almost to the point of driving me crazy."

"Would this be normal crazy or talking to squirrels crazy?"

"I'm thinking this is sneaking up behind unsuspecting people crazy."

By the time the two had approached the house, the sky had grown dark and it was quite easy to look into the lit up house. The ensemble of thieves had gathered in the living room and were busy chatting amongst themselves and it almost seemed a crime to have disturbed it. Therefore, Jess slipped in silently and sat down on the couch to hear why she had been summoned.

"Alright, now that we're all here, I must say I have some bad news."

"What kind of bad news are we talking about?" Fujiko wearily asked.

"The key is no longer in Scotland."

"Then where is it?"

"Well, OK, you see it's kind of a long story…"

"Lupin," Goemon exclaimed with a warning tone, "please enlighten us."

"You see, the key was here but the owners got scared the moment they received the note that we would be relieving them of it. As they too were people on the, shall we say, other side of the law, they couldn't get the authorities involved. Instead, they decided to add it to the annual black market sale in England. The way I see it, they won't mention to the auctioneers that we are after it, so that it will actually sell. But, because of the kind of unorthodox security at these functions, it isn't wise to steal it there."

"So what the hell are we going to do then?" Jigen added throwing his hands in the air with exasperation.

"I plan to go to the black market sale and see who buys it."

"That's it? No elaborate plan, crazy heist, or overall ridiculous ideas? That's not friggin' like you."

"It's not as simple as you think it is my bearded friend. You see, this sale is annual for a reason. No one has been able to shut it down due to the secrecy of gaining entrance."

"Where in England are we talking about?"

"Manchester," came a soft reply from the up until now quiet girl on the couch.

"How the hell did you know?"

"I've participated," Jess responded in obvious pain.

Shock shrouded the faces on every individual in the room. If she had participated it only meant one thing – she had been a member of the syndicate that always puts it on; a group like that only trusts a select few to deal with an event of that caliber.

"Lupin," the brunette continued to dispel the awkward silence, "if you wish to enter the sale I must go with you. If not, you will be found out and killed…well, tortured and then killed."

"Couldn't we just wait till after the sale to find out where it went? Why do we have to be there?"

"I can answer that one, Fuji-cakes," Lupin remarked although still staring with confusion at the other girl in the room, "Jess is quite right in that the security is quite tight and it is because of this that we would never find the true location until months after the sale. In matters of practicality and time, I need to visibly see who it goes to."

"There's another problem, Lupin," Jess cut in, "each party is only allowed an even number of people to go since it is an even year. I know, it's a ridiculous rule, but there will be a lot of them. But, this means only two or four of us can go."

"It'll just be you and me then."

"Very well."

Everything seemed so finalized but everyone held the feeling that there was one very important question still lingering. There were sharp glances from one to another as to who was going to be the one to ask, but before someone was able to work up the courage Jess had stood up and left.

"She had mentioned something a few days ago about northern England, but immediately became quiet before explaining her distress about the location," Goemon finally mentioned.

"I knew there was something not so apparent about her, but I just couldn't place my finger on her…I mean it."

But the joke was lost on the crowd still in the living room when angry words could be heard down the hall.

"_No way, Jessica…you're just putting yourself in unnecessary danger…I know you think you know what you're doing…fine, be stubborn. If you die, I'm not going to the wake…stop laughing, it wasn't a joke!"_

"OK, now I really want to know," Lupin mused to himself.

Sadly, that night would not be one of sharing pasts as Jess had kept herself hidden for the rest of the night. Curiosity was killing the master thief especially as was his nature to know all things, but the others were able to hide and dismiss the need to know as they all had secrets unwilling to be communal as well.

But, as curiousness subsided and the idea of a big day ahead, the veil of night engulfed the shadowy manor as each light turned off in succession. Sleep took each person quickly and softly aside from one. He had been unusually quiet during the time spent at their current residence and tonight he carried this silent mood outside while the rest of the world slept.

It was still cold out, enough to see one's breath, but he wouldn't know as it was mixed with the smoke of the burning cigarette in his right hand. While his left hand found a warmer place in his pants pocket, the gunman took a deep sigh that carried all the confusion and awkwardness he held in.

"I thought it would be different," Jigen mumbled to himself, "Ah, what the hell am I talking about? Maybe Fujiko was right…eh, never thought I'd say that."

Knowing Jess' habit of appearing more frequently at night, Jigen had made himself a bit more visible by the dark hours. He even cut down on the smoking just in case she was around, but it never seemed to occur. Finding her in that bar seemed ages ago since that night held so much promise compared to this dismal luck. Possibilities and explanations rolled over and over in his mind so much that the door behind him opening slightly startled the usually unfazed man. For a moment he thought his terrible luck had changed, but it was the light footsteps of a woman that came through.

"I thought I would find you out here, sir."

"Hmmm."

When expecting one thing and getting the exact opposite, it's always hard to mask the disappointment. But, when Will came through that door instead of Jess it was like drinking milk when you're anticipating soda.

"Yes, I'm quite sure I'm the last person you want to see now, but I must ask a reluctant favor of you."

"A favor?"

"You see, for some odd reason Jess has faith in you, or enough to say you have a good heart (which she rarely declares of anyone) so what I'm trying to say is…Will you watch over her for me?"

"What?" the ill at ease gunman snapped in surprise.

"Aye, I support her in her charming desire to steal, but I do not enjoy it when she puts herself in unnecessary danger. You see, there are some things I wish she wouldn't risk, but she always has something to prove I suppose."

"You support her stealing? She said that was the reason you two…" Jigen had let his mouth run farther than his guard and held back the rest of the statement, but the young doctor knew where it was leading.

"Split up? No, I actually found it intriguing she used her intelligence in such a manor. Her stories always managed to beat the ones I had at the hospital."

"Hmmm."

"I would have thought you would have caught on by now she is prone to lying (quite well in fact) to save herself uncomfortable situations. In fact, it would probably surprise the hell out of you the real reason why we went our separate ways."

"Obviously not too separate…" the gunman muttered referring to earlier that day when he noticed them walk in from outside together.

"If you don't believe me, I recommend you take a closer look at the pictures she carries with her. But, my intent is not to help you, merely to help her. So, if she is harmed in any way I will take personal vengeance with your life."

Will made his proposition with all seriousness and without a fall in temper. With a final curt bow, he walked back inside without so much as a "good night." It didn't faze the man still left outside in the cold. While it made him chuckle to think he had just been threatened by an upper-class, wiry doctor, it was what he had said near the end of his narration that made him ponder. What was so mysterious about those pictures?


	7. Red Bows and Pictures

**Red Bows and Pictures**

"OK, here is a list of the things he is allowed to eat…actually, just give him whatever. As long as it isn't chocolate, he should be good."

"Are you sure you don't want to take him with you?"

"I can't and you know it. If I need a quick git-away, I can't be hauling his furry ass with me."

"Very well…"

Just as the weather was beginning to improve in the Scottish highland, the thieves found it necessary to leave. January had finally left, and with good riddance, permitting for a more acceptable winter climate. Allowing for a clear sky to appear, the sun shown down on the weighted down vehicle in which everyone departing had climbed in to. Leaning out the window, Jess was giving last minute instructions to Will on how to care for her dog and expressing thanks for lodging.

"Don't worry, I'll be OK. How about this; if I die you can have my stuff? My stuff kind of sucks, but rest assure, you'll be the recipient."

"As much as I don't appreciate being mocked for my concern, I'll pretend that was funny."

"Thanks…well, I'm getting the eye to get moving so I bid you adieu!"

"Hey," Will exclaimed grabbing Jess' arm before she slipped back in the car, "Just remember it's OK to leave them if things get rough." The smirk that remained on his face let her know the degree of seriousness his remark held, but his eyes seemed to honestly mean it.

"Yea…take care of yourself."

With a friendly wave she shook off the odd feeling that his words left as well as her hidden life. Her only goal now was to use her abilities and rely on those of the people sitting in the same car as herself to gain their prize. Leaning back, Jess let out a soft sigh and tried to mentally prepare herself for dealing with her past. Manchester held a lot of mental baggage. For a couple years it had been exciting and thrilling, but when it came to light what her true actions in the syndicate were doing she realized that she had to do what she did best – escape. These thoughts ran throughout her mind for a long time and it wasn't until 30 minutes had passed until she became conscious of the odd silence in the car. Jess knew what they wanted know; for the moment she'd be selfish and keep it to herself.

Upon reaching Manchester, the majority of the band began planning a semi vacation. Since it would be only Lupin and Jess heading up this leg of the journey, they saw it as an opportunity to have some self time. Fujiko was the first leave when sighting the wonderful shopping opportunities. The other two men followed suit in their own ways with Goemon seeking out somewhere quiet enough to meditate and Jigen making himself acquainted with the couch. As the black market sale was going to be the following day upon reaching the northern English city, Jess and Lupin sat down for the rest of the night going over the particulars.

By evening of the next day, there was a slight buzz of excitement in the uptown flat. For all their involvement in the darker part of society, none had gone to the semi-legendary sale. It was known to keep thieves out due to their, well, thieving nature. Although Lupin could, if he put his mind to it, get in, there had never been an occasion as such to push him. For now, though, both Jess and Lupin stood chatting with the others while they waited for their driver.

"Thanks for snagging me a dress when you went shopping," Jess whispered to Fujiko, "I totally forgot about the dress code to this thing."

"Listen honey, just as long as you don't forget about anything else it'll all be fine."

Her somewhat cold response to the gratitude the young doctor showed left the latter a bit perturbed, but it was something she knew she'd have to get used to. No girl likes competition.

"What are you two whispering about over there?" Lupin asked, craning his neck to hear. "Secrets between sexy brunettes should be shared."

"You clean up well," Fujiko continued nonchalantly.

"What do you mean, I always look good."

"You are under the impression a bright red coat looks good?" Goemon added.

"Hey! Jigen you don't think….wait, I'm not asking you, you're already smirking…Jess?"

"Well, actually…"

"Not you too…"

"Oh, stop your pouting. Besides, our ride is here."

"Very well, you all hold down the fort. We should be back around 2 AM."

"Doesn't it end at midnight?" Jigen inquired.

"Yea, but Jess looks way too hot tonight to bring her back early."

"Well, _he_ may not be home in time," Jess remarked while walking out the door, "but I will."

The trio left behind walked to separate ends of the spacious apartment quickly. One would think they didn't enjoy each others company, but it must be understood that they where around each other most of the year. From the moment Lupin and Jess left, in fact, the entire living quarter became quiet aside from the door slam that followed Fujiko as she left for a bit of the Manchester night life. Although she was happy to have free time to relax, she was still feeling a bit agitated at not being the accomplice of the master thief. All that was left was the samurai and the gunman, both of which had retreated to their rooms. After about an hour, though, one soul ventured quietly out of his room.

"He dares me to look at her pictures, does he?"

During the entirety of the 60 minutes, Jigen had been lying on his bed debating if he should take the advice of the Scottish doctor. Why would he want to help? Surely he is trying to get him in trouble. But, what if there is something really too it. Maybe he does have Jess' best interests in mind.

Back and forth he went, thinking of all options and situations that could happen. If he looked, unless they were booby trapped (which seemed highly illogical) he could get the curiosity off his chest. The problem was, though, maybe the truth would hurt a little too much. If he didn't look, he would be playing it safe; an option which usually never had it downfalls…well, apparently until now.

Jigen stood in front of Jess' room thinking of the most unsuspicious way of entering.

"OK," he thought to himself, "If the door is locked, it means I was never meant to enter; but, it its open then…what the hell…I'm acting like this scares me."

With a little casual whistling and glance around to make sure no one was around, the gunman went for the handle and found it was in fact unlocked. Turning quickly, he slipped in and with a sigh began looking for the pictures.

His search was short as she had set them up carefully on the dresser already. He looked on it with some hesitation, thinking that if he disturbed them, she'd know in a second. Walking up, Jigen stared at them, concentrating on what he _should_ be looking for. With heed, he picked one up. Shining back from the frame was a shot of her beaming in sunglasses with a generic lovely landscape behind her.

"I don't understand what he was talking about, I don't see any friggin' hidden messages or …."

His finger had slipped over a lump in the back of the frame. Pushing down on the new find, the picture he had been staring at instantly slipped away and in its place was one of him and Jess from years ago.

Eyes widened, he picked up another and found the same button, picture again flipping to memories from long ago. In minutes he saw what Will had eluded too: all the pictures, they had all changed to pictures from her time with the thieves. He must have discovered it too.

"Man, we look young…"

On the opposite side of town a well dressed couple began their walk up the stairs to the entrance of a lavish theatre. All around spot lights shown high to the air and attendants scurried from person to person asking if there was anything anyone needed. Names were being called of friends who hadn't seen each other since the last sale; overall, an air of luxurious excitement. Ahead of the duo, though, were two huge bouncers with the quintessential Hollywood list in hand.

"Hello sirs, you'll find us under Henry VIII."

"Of course 'mam, may we see your shoes?"

The young woman raised her long dress a bit to reveal black shoes with a red bow and nudged the man next to her to do the same. The imposing men looked down at their feet as if the act was normal and waved them on inside.

"You know, Jess, in all my years in the business, I have never heard of a red bow requirement and a reservation under a dead King."

"Listen, I can't believe they called me 'mam' like I'm old."

"You are getting up there in years you know…"

"I'm 26!"

"A thief's life is a hard one, maybe the years are starting to show."

"Thanks," she replied flatly. "Personally I can't wait to see if they changed any of their presentation, oh, here's our room!"

After passing a few more ridiculous requirements to enter their suite, the two took their seats in the private room.

Like a box at a stadium, the upper seats of the theatre were enclosed with glass for the spectators to see which item was up for bid. All windows were tinted so that seeing who received each item was near impossible. The two thieves (quite uncaring of this fact), took advantage of the fully stocked mini bar and sat down with a martini while waiting for the festivities to begin.

"I must say, it's a lot better being a guest at this event instead of working it," Jess remarked while taking a sip of her tasty beverage.

"You know, I have time for a nice back story," Lupin hinted as he leaned back.

Glancing up at the time, Jess took another sip of her martini.

"I knew you would ask. I suppose it was all a matter of time before you _needed_ to know."

"It's my job to know all about my friends. In fact, I know things about Fujiko and the guys they don't know I am aware of...but that's another story. Please continue."

"You're a man of intrigue Mr. Lupin," she remarked with a little laugh. "Well, a long while ago, I became involved with the syndicate that runs this operation. I believed that it would take me further in the thieving world, but I found they did things I didn't agree with too much."

"…and that was?"

"Murder."

"I see, you follow the same rules I do. I assume you did what you do best?"

"Correct, I had to leave. Of course there is much to that story, but I won't bother you with details."

"No details? I'm disappointed."

"You'll live; I'm sure if you wanted to know, you'd find a way."

"What I don't understand is why you so nonchalantly walked in here. Weren't you afraid someone would recognize you?"

"Not really; lower level minions don't last long here. I wasn't worried about that fate for the fact that they wanted me to be their group's doctor. They paid for my schooling, you see, that's the only reason I was able to get through school without any debt."

"Oh, you had debt to them: your life. Bold move escaping, cheers."

Lupin offered up his glass and they toasted smiling as only two criminals could appreciate the gravity of escaping a syndicate. The conversation ended on that impressive note as a soft bell tolled indicating the beginning of the sale.

For a half an hour, the items on display were relatively unimpressive. Some of the bids were quite extravagant, but that only meant some of these pieces had a hidden meaning to them. This of course was not new in the world of crime. Finally, after a much anticipated wait, the key incrusted with sapphires appeared on stage. At that time, Lupin removed from his belt a small set of glasses with an odd tint. Each time someone bid, a light would shine by their box. Both thieves followed intently the blinking lights around the room until they saw their final glow right across, one tier down. At that moment Lupin activated the glasses.

With the special vision enacted on the lenses, he was able to see beyond the tint of the glass and find the buyer of the key.

"Amazing," Lupin exclaimed, "this just makes our lives a heck of a lot easier."

"Who is it? Do you recognize them?"

"Yes, he's the man we were going to go after next: Blake Yonner. He already owns the third key, so now he has both the sapphire and the emerald; therefore we'll be killing two birds with one stone."

"Collectors are convenient; where does he live?"

"Japan; I hope you missed all the traveling."

"Of course."

The two waited for the sale to end so as not to draw attention to their main purpose. Although it was quite tempting to go for the key now, it was wiser that they wait until both keys were in the same place. Instead, the duo left with the crowd: laughing and carrying on like they were just like the others.

Throughout the city a loud chime rang reminding all that it was midnight, but more specifically awaking the gunman from his trance. He had been sitting on Jess' bed staring at his find. Lost in thought and attempting to figure out his next move, he had totally forgotten to keep track of the time. Startled into reality, he hit each of the buttons on the frames to reverse them back to their original states and opened the door to find the grinning face of a Ms. Fujiko Mine.

"That's kind of pervy: going through her things and all."

"Get out of my way," he mumbled as he tried to walk around the judging.

"Oh, I wouldn't dismiss me so quickly. I'm sure Jess would love to know this."

"You wouldn't dare…"

"Would I? I think a girl has a right to know when someone is sneaking around doing heaven knows what."

"You want something for silence don't you? Well too bad…"

"Very well, I'll let everyone know when Lupin and Jess return."

Jaw clenched, he knew Fujiko was not full of empty threats. "What do you want?"

"50 of your share of the treasure."

"What! That's friggin' robbery!"

"Very well, I hope you have a q-tip, because you're about to get an ear full when she returns."

"Fine," he growled, "but if you even hint to her…"

The argument ended immediately, though, upon the front door opening. The two previously combatants changed their demeanor instantly and greeted the incoming friends. Goemon came out from his room as well, although he seemed a bit on the weary side. Fujiko and Jigen knew at once he had overheard something.

"I almost wish I could go every year." Lupin remarked taking off his coat, "It's amazing to see some of the items you steal go to the highest bidder. Maybe I should sell directly so as to give the lowest price possible like a whole sale club."

"That's great, Lupin, but did you find the buyer?" Fujiko exclaimed, still a bit flustered by her bargaining deal.

"Indeed I did and he also is in possession of the third key as well."

"Stars seemed to be aligning in all the right places I suppose," Jess added as she tilted her head to take off her earrings. "For right now, though, I need to put on something a lot more comfortable."

Jigen and Fujiko watched her walk back to her room and then glared back at each other.

"I hope you left everything as you found it," the femme fatale whispered and then walked over to Lupin and began the usual teasing. She had to make sure her status in the master thief's eyes was still high of course.

"Jigen, I must speak to you in private," Goemon exclaimed quietly.

"What is it?"

The two men strolled away from the uncomfortable heavy petting ensuing by the door and moved to the balcony. While both motioned for the other to sit, each remained standing.

"I could not help but hear you are in some kind of agreement with Fujiko."

"Do you realize what you just said? When have I ever agreed with her?"

"She is holding something over your head then. I never knew you were one to let a woman control you as such."

"Don't push it, man. I don't want to get angry with you and it's already been a long day."

After a moment, Goemon took a breath, looked at the gunman straight in the eye, and exclaimed: "You've been rather quiet since Jessica came back." Jigen didn't respond. "Does she return the feelings?"

Again there was silence and after a moment the gunman got up and left. It was all a bit too much for one night. First he finds that Jess kept the old pictures from 7 years ago, then he gets blackmailed by his least favorite person, and now one of his closest friends was on his case about it. All he needed now was…

"Hey Jigen," Jess remarked as she reached out for his arm. He had walked by in thought and didn't notice her calling him. "Can you come into my room for a bit?"


	8. Travel Log

Travel Log

"Um, sure."

By the time Jigen had come from the balcony, the common area had been vacated. Fujiko and Lupin were now doing heaven knows what, and had left the large area to match the night outside. The only light now in the room was coming in through the windows from street lamps, various other city illuminations, and now from the open room whose occupant stood in the doorway calling to him. He nodded a little and left the darkness for the smiling girl who bid him so eagerly

"What all did you do while Lupin and I were gone?" Jess asked stepping back to let him in.

"Nothing really, we all kept to ourselves. How was the sale?"

"So exciting! Pardon my enthusiasm, but I could definitely get used to high class thievery. Oh, you should have seen the rooms! Pretty ridiculous in terms of amenities and…"

"I don't suppose one of those amenities was a mini bar?"

"How did you know?"

"Let me guess, you sampled it too…you drunkard. You're chattering away like it's going out of friggin' style."

"Hey! Maybe so, but that's like the pot calling the kettle black. In fact, it's the reason I called you in here…go ahead take a seat."

She motioned for the now curious guest to take a seat on the edge of the bed. He arched his neck to see what she had hidden in her purse, but didn't have to wait long. With a devious smile, Jess turned around and threw her bounty of stolen mini bottles of liquor from the previously mentioned conveniences on the bed.

"You are the best thief ever. I want you to realize this," Jigen exclaimed in laughter.

"I knew you'd appreciate this. And yes, I am quite proud of it."

Placing herself right next to the gunman as he took up one of the bottles, Jess leaned back and stretched herself on the bed. It had been an exciting, but long day and the alcohol made her eyes hold the half open stance of exhaustion. For a moment, even, she let her eyes droop all the way until she felt herself the subject of someone else's gaze.

"Hey there," Jess whispered to her onlooker.

"Hey…"

"I'm glad I came," she added as she sat up.

Jess was extremely close to the now very aware man. Naturally, the girl sitting next to him would never be this forward. And, as she placed her hand on his, he knew that the normally standoffish brunette was under an influence she may regret in the morning. For a moment, though, he was able to experience life as it was seven years prior.

"There are a lot of things we need to talk about, Jess."

"Like what?" she asked, now pressing her cheek against his arm.

"Please don't do this to me. I don't want you making a mistake; I'm leaving."

"Jigen?"

He stood up and tried to shake off the feeling she left on his arm. From his head to his toe, intuition was telling him to walk away (and he had never followed any other feeling more so than his instinct.)

"Jessica, you are not in your right mind. If you are able to remember this tomorrow morning and are…" he hesitated and continued slowly, "feeling the same way I'd invite you to sit with me on the plane ride to Japan."

From there he swiftly left the room and returned to the dark hallway. The rest of the night would be a strong reflection on his day as his rest was fitful and ill-refreshing. He knew he would have kicked himself months ago given this very opportunity, but something felt off. She was here now, she was real (he knew vividly from her touch that still lingered.)

"Damn it, Jess," Jigen thought to himself, "It was easier to deal with you when you were dead and not coming on to me."

Although the group had been expecting to leave quickly from Manchester, the departure seemed too rushed – leaving most feeling drained of ambition for the Raleigh keys. After only a short night sleep, the group was up at the crack of dawn (woken mostly from Lupin yelling at each to get ready for another trip) and hurried off to the airport.

"Lupin, why do we have to leave today? I'm tired of traveling," a groggy Fujiko remarked. "Much less the fact you chose the earliest flight possible."

"I figure we leave this place as soon as possible, set up shop in Japan, and do our relaxing there."

"You had better not be lying. This skipping from country to country is messing up my beauty rest."

"Heaven knows you need all you can get," Jigen added with a smirk.

He elicited a death glare from the recipient of the joke who just as quickly turned her head to address the other girl in the group.

"Say Jess, would you like to know something interesting?" Fujiko asked eying her tormentor the entire time.

"I'm sure it's not as interesting as those…uh, great shoes you have, Fujiko," Jigen quickly responded making everyone turn in a confused stare.

The first to react was Jess with a "What the hell…" followed by Goemon's "Are you feeling ill" and Lupin's "It must be the apocalypse…"

"I'm fine…but, hey they're calling us to our seats."

"Oh, that's true," Lupin picked up being the only one excited enough to move quickly. The others trudged slowly behind with the shoe admirer in the rear.

While the three men immediately went on to the plane, the girls quickly went to the kiosk near the terminal to grab a Cosmo and something edible (as neither trusted airplane food.)

"Hey man," Lupin exclaimed leaning over the seat in front of him, "when did you become such a shoe aficionado? You know there are some great fashion shows you could go too…"

"You're lucky they make me stow my magnum under the plane."

"Goemon, did you know of this newfound interest?"

"Personally I found her heels a bit too gaudy, but to each their own," the samurai replied with a grin. "By the way, Lupin, I'd like to know how I got stuck with the seat next to this woman who seems to have eaten her previous plane."

"It's simple: Fujiko is next to me for the pure reason it's Fujiko and I put Jess next to the fashionista here because he's a lot more tolerable when he has a nice piece of ass to concentrate on. Sorry man, you play 5th wheel in this scenario."

"Hey!" the gunman interjected, "what do you mean I'm more tolerable?"

"Shhhh, the females approach…and they bring gifts!"

"That's right," Fujiko remarked walking up in true seductive fashion, "we thought you all would like something edible."

"Mostly we got items for free when we bought our stuff," Jess added taking her seat which almost made her seat mate crack a grin…almost. "By the way, Goemon," she continued leaning across the aisle, "we found some sushi that actually _didn't_ look suspect, so enjoy."

"I praise you with many thanks."

"You're welcome?"

_Attention passengers…_

The group settled in for a long flight. Cross-continental rides always left them feeling less than human on the other side, but with the promise of relaxation they were willing to take it without complaining. It took the airline about half an hour before they were up in the air and cruising and it was at this point that Jess began rummaging through her carry on bag.

"You forgot this last night," she remarked setting a mini liquor bottle on his arm rest.

"Are you angry?"

"I guess I can't. Technically being taken advantage of isn't a good thing."

"You act like you wanted to."

"I don't know; I have had a lot of things on my mind recently. Alcohol let's you forget for a while, ya know?"

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"I missed you all a great deal. I felt alive: that the world could be at my feet! But, did I really want that? Could I handle that? Stability is a necessity I found. I need a home; a place I call my own that means safety and comfort. You see, there is conflict and this is why I go between normal town doctor and international thief."

"You know, people can be stability."

"Not when they are constantly on the move."

"Oh…" he looked down for a moment and then continued a bit more quieter, "what do you plan to do then?"

"No idea, I'll let it be a part of my mystery."

"I'm not going to lie, you're mystery seems more frustrating than intriguing."

"Hey, I worked hard for my frustration. I'd prefer you not expose it for its crappiness haha. Plus, you're not one to talk. I never knew that you had a keen eye for shoes – how'd you keep that such a secret?"

"Oh, god…not you too. Listen, you wouldn't friggin' believe…"

Happy to get Jess off her slightly depressing inner conflict, Jigen was able to take a deep breath and relax for a bit. He could see why she had been so off and on with him now. If he was a betting man (well, he was), he would never have placed a bid on something with a 50/50 shot, but she was a lot easier on the eyes than the ponies.

"For what it's worth, though, I'm….glad you're here again.

Jess took a while and smiled sweetly at his comment – she knew that probably took all the emotional courage he had. From the pocket on the seat in front of her, too, she grabbed a pillow and blanket and reclined the chair as far as it would go.

"Thanks, but after staying up so late and getting up so early, I am extremely tired."

"That sounds like a good idea, actually," he replied giving a big stretch and tipping his hat forward. This sleep wouldn't be near a fitful as last night.

Behind the two nappers, a pleased Fujiko sat with arms folded and lips locked in a tight smile. This was exactly what she needed in order to keep the gunman under her thumb. As long as they were on good terms, she had the control and would of course use this to her advantage. Her satisfied stance didn't go unnoticed, though, as Lupin looked on with some amazement.

"You almost seem happy for him, my dear."

"Lupin, you of all people should know I'm not happy unless it helps me in some way."

"Well, he is better with her around."

"You have no idea. Is she planning on going back after all this ends?"

"I suppose that's up to her."

"But, you can persuade her, right?"

"Now, why is her presence here so important? Surely you must have something up your sleeve."

"Well, technically I have an ace up my sleeve…but that's only for emergencies.

"You never cease to amaze me. Personally, having an extra hand every now and then is great – especially since it's a medical hand."

"It would do us both good to persuade her stay then," Fujiko added as she leaned in a bit closer to the master thief. "Please Lupin, please try."

After a few hours in the air, everyone was asleep and woke up in both a different country and on a different day. Jet lag was beginning to catch up to everyone as the only words any of them said to each other began when they finally reached their residence.

"I feel like death warmed over," Jigen exclaimed throwing his bags in his room uncaring to where they fell.

"I concur, a body is not meant to endure such air travel," Goemon responded as he too dragged himself through the doorway.

"Sounds like its naps all around. Don't worry, it's on me."

The apartment became unusually quiet in a matter of minutes as each person passed out. In fact, the only movement came from the sliding door of the young doctor. Dressed for sight-seeing, she knew that the gang had most likely seen all attractions Tokyo had to offer after years of stopping there. Now was her time to be a tourist like a normal person. Slipping silently out of the sliding door, she made a little noise as possible, but her actions didn't go unnoticed.

From her own room, Fujiko had observed the little escape. This seemed a good time to go shopping. Grabbing her things, she waltzed right into the room of a slumbering and slightly snoring Jigen.

"Hey! Wake up sleeping beauty."

"What the hell…" the startled man nearly yelled.

"You look almost peaceful when you sleep. Too bad we're going shopping."

"I don't know what possessed you to go all psycho all of a sudden, but I ain't going with you."

"What you don't understand is that you have to."

"I don't _have_ to do anything. So don't let the door hit you on your way…"

"It's funny how quickly I could grab the attention of a certain girl."

"Shut it. You know what? I don't care. I'm not going to be your personal lackey. So go ahead!"

He was either calling her bluff or just that angry. Fujiko thought she'd at least scare him enough and make a big production of it. Stopping out, she knocked ferociously on Jess' door, although knowing full well she wasn't in there. She'd call her name loud enough for the gunman to hear but softly so as to not wake the others. For a moment, the vixen heard the sought after uncomfortable shifting from the room she just left and was at that moment she let it fly.

"Jessica Abraham, I want you to know that Daisuke Jigen was found searching your room one day in quite a secretive and pervy fashion!"

"He…what?"

Eyes widening, Fujiko froze as though a gun had been placed to her back. This was not part of the plan and she now could see her strategy flying away.

After getting all the way down the block, Jess had realized she had forgotten money back in the hotel and had promptly ran back to obtain it. It was at this moment she came upon the following scene. Thoughts of her secretive mini escape for the day vanished and she dropped her camera where she stood. Her eyes laid in amazement on Fujiko and soon traveled to another figure that came out of the room adjacent to her peripheral vision.

"You bitch," the dark figure growled in Fujiko's direction.

"Well, there goes my fun. I guess it had to come out at sometime."

"I have killed men for much less."

"Don't you dare starting threatening me!"

"Was what she said….true?"

The two combatants had nearly forgotten the reason for their anger and turned their attention to the girl still standing in the doorway.

"Oh, this will be good. I'd love to stay, but I have stores calling my name," Fujiko remarked lightheartedly and brushed past Jess. She couldn't help but feel a bit scared at what was to come, but for now the best solution would to stay out of the line of fire.

"Why were you in my room?"


	9. Carpet is so Comfortable

Carpet is so Comfortable

"It's not as bad as she made it out to be, Jess."

"Then just tell me."

At having been left to fend for himself, Jigen grasped for a way to explain and possibly rectify the situation. She was calm, a bit too calm for his own liking as he knew that this was her quiet before the storm. Her body language was not in his best interest either, as he could see her tensing like a lioness does before it leaps on its prey. Lips pursed and arms crossed, she waited for his answer.

"Don't worry about it."

"I'll stop worrying when you tell me."

"I was told to look at something of yours."

"Who told you it was OK to do that?"

"They didn't give me permission, alright? They just said to look."

"Whose 'they'?"

"Will…"

Her eyes widened to large saucers and filled with an instant fear. For a second, she let go of her angry stance, but immediately retained it upon realizing she was letting on what was going through her mind.

"What did he tell you to look at?" Jess asked cautiously.

"Your pictures."

"And…what did you find?"

Silence permeated the room as it almost felt too uncomfortable to say the known. No longer angry, Jess's hands dropped to her side and she looked down. Embarrassment; Jigen couldn't believe it! She had been ashamed at having been found out and there she was reddening in the face and diverting her eyes.

"Oh…" Jess finally mumbled breaking the uncomfortable quiet.

"It's not a bad thing," Jigen replied starting to walk toward her. She had changed from the deep red to a ghostly pale and he was almost afraid the any slight movement would push her over.

"That was for me to decide and he took it away from me," she continued to mumble.

"No no, it's alright. Why don't you sit down, eh?"

"Hah! I'll pass," she replied moving away suddenly, "I've been thoroughly embarrassed and to be honest I don't want to be near you right now."

"Whoa, what?"

"Don't worry; I'm not angry with _you_…" Jess exclaimed as she walked towards her room.

"Hey! You're just leaving?"

"Yes."

"Then _who_ are you angry with?"

Jess walked briskly into her room and shut the door just as promptly discarding the perplexed man in the living room.

"You are so friggin' confusing," he replied to the door, "normal people don't react like this!"

The day went quickly and sight of the two girls was nonexistence, which confused the others as they sat around for dinner. Residing on the fact that they were doing girl things, the men decided to class it up without going out and ordered in food. Sitting around the table with their meal, they discussed their upcoming job.

"I had an epiphany while sleeping off the let lag. I must admit, I compliment my ability to be amazing."

"What's the big plan then, Lupin?" Jigen asked.

"Well, the old man who owns the keys has been failing in terms of health. In fact, every city he goes to he makes sure a doctor is on call for him."

"And we have just the doctor for him," Goemon added.

"Right you are my observant friend. You see the crucial point is to get Fujiko in first and …what was that!"

From the room that housed the up until now quiet Jessica came a tremendous yell. All day the girl waited until it was a decent hour in Scotland to call. From there, she promptly began a tirade Will would never forget and the people in the living room couldn't help but overhear.

"Oh man, Jess is definitely giving it to someone," Lupin remarked quietly as he leaned toward the door containing the angry lecture.

"She was so pleasant during the plane ride," the samurai exclaimed just as quietly, "maybe it has something to do with Fujiko's disappearance."

"Shhhh, listen…"

"_How dare you tell him that; you had no right! NO! It was my priority to inform him if I wanted to. For heaven sakes, what makes _you_ think you know what's best for me?"_

"Oh man, this can only get better. I wonder who 'he' is."

"I'd hate to be whoever's on the receiving end of that verbal lashing," Jigen responded knowing quite well who 'he' was.

"You realize she'll kill us if she finds us pressed up against her door like this."

"Goemon, where's your sense of fun?"

"_You're a real jerk, I hope you realize this. Oh sure, I'm the one who's being unreasonable. I hope you are happy that I had to stand there in complete embarrassment like an idiot. I don't do embarrassment…I'm the collected one!"_

"My sense of fun is slightly scared by _that_."

"Oh, come on man…"

"Damn, step back – she hung up," the gunman voiced pulling the others back just in time to see the door be flung open.

"Hey, I hope my conversation was interesting enough. Don't worry, I'm quite uncaring of the fact that you were listening. I actually wanted to let you all know that I'm going out to drink heavily. Hopefully, I won't remember what happened today."

"Uh, ok…"

"Great. Please don't wait up for me and I will see you all after I shake off the hang over. Night."

Keeping with the theme of missing in action ladies for the night, Jess left quickly leaving the men standing in the same confused stance Jigen had done solo earlier.

"Do you suppose one of us should make sure she doesn't take her drinking a bit too seriously?" Goemon asked.

"She'll head to the closest bar if she is that eager to forget. We'll give her a few hours before we start worrying," Lupin responded.

As soon as she left the temporary living quarters, Jess walked with haste towards the elevator and hit the down button in an impatient manner. When the door finally opened, though, she was encountered by the origin of the embarrassment for the day.

"Oh, Jess!" Fujiko exclaimed in surprise.

"Hey, are you doing anything?"

"Well, I just came back; wait…what's your angle? Aren't you angry with me?"

"I want to drink and I don't want to drink alone. Come with me and we can just put that one on the back burner."

"I'm not sure."

"Suit yourself…"

Fujiko thought of all the possible hidden agendas the girl pushing past her in the elevator could have. Her eyes maintained an air of forced uncaring, but she couldn't see any anger; more frustration if anything. This could also be the femme fatales chance to regain some control.

"Actually, I'll come."

Although the walk to the bar was silent, after a half hour and 5 shots of vodka later, conversation seemed to flow like between the two girls like they were best friends.

"How do you do this thieving thing all the time?" Jess asked while signaling the bartender for another shot.

"It's better than being tied down to a boring job."

"Maybe, what about having a home?"

"Home's are over rated. I rather have the entire world as my home."

"I guess I'm insane."

"Honey, the only insane thing here is the amount you're putting away."

"I thought it was known that I intend on ….what was I saying?"

"Hahaha, oh I haven't had this much fun with a girl in a while. Oh, and the thing you are trying to recall is the word 'forget' – must be working."

"Ah, knew it," Jess replied in a slurred fashion

"So, what are you planning on doing after the heist is over?"

"No idea; go home maybe?"

"Oh, do you want to go back to that guy in Scotland? You must miss him…"

"HAH! No; he won't be seeing my face for a while."

"You don't like him?"

"He's definitely on the shit list."

"_Who_ do you like, then?"

"That's tricky of you. I'll never be that drunk to spill that kind of information. Kudos to you for trying."

"You're a clever one, I'll give you that. I think we should go back before the boys get worried."

"I don't know if walking is an option right now," Jess remarked pushing herself away from the bar and finding the ground a swirling mess.

"Come on, it's only a block away."

Acting as crutch for each other, the two girls stumbled down the sidewalk, Jess the far worst off of the two. She kept her eyes closed, hoping Fujiko could lead. The world around her was spinning way too fast to even attempt to see. Crashing into the hotel, the two girls made it all the way upstairs and to the door without incident.

"OK honey, can you get in without help, I need to unlock the door."

"Sure," Jess replied, but as the door opened and the support gone, the young doctor fell forward through the doorway flat on her face.

"Oh goodness, get up!"

"Can't. But its fine, the floor is feeling really comfortable," came a muffled response.

"Hold on, let me put my stuff away so I can haul you in."

Since her fall wasn't the most graceful sounds (it was in fact a great thud,) it aroused the attention of the three men who had all gone to their rooms for the night. Each popped their doors opened to find the source of the noise and all couldn't help to express a smirk at the composed woman who had become quite intimate with the carpet. Although each were about to come see, it was Jigen the other two noticed who was first to take a step out of his room. He quickly turned his head back down the hall to see if the other two men had come out as well, but they had quickly closed the door so as to let him poke his fun.

"Nice one, Abraham. Lose a contact?"

"Oh no, I definitely chose to be stuck like this. The problem is, if I move I'm quite sure I'll die."

"You aren't going to die," he replied bending down next to her.

"I don't feel good."

"How much did you drink?"

"I can't remember."

"That means too much. Did you at least eat something before you did this?"

"If I had, I'd be wearing it."

"True, you need to go sleep this off."

"I told you, I can't move."

"Why?"

"Everything around me will go crazy again. Please don't make it go crazy…no more crazy," she replied in muffled sobs.

"Hey, hey, you'll be fine. Do you need help?" he asked, although all he got was silence. "That means yes."

"Just drag me, I can't look up."

"I'm not going to drag you like a friggin' caveman. Here, try and sit up."

Jigen pushed Jess slowly so that she was propped on her knees. Her face had the imprints of the carpet indicating she had indeed fallen like a rock onto the ground. All the while, as well, she kept her eyes closed in fear of the world swirling again.

"Alright Jess, I'm going to pick you up but you better not throw up on me."

"Listen, you act like I can control that," Jess replied still with her eyes shut tight.

"Alright," Jigen continued trying to forget that last remark, "up you go."

All that Jess could respond with was a moan and instantly went limp upon being picked up. Her journey across the room, though, had been watched intently by her female cohort in drinking. Letting the gunman take care of the incapacitated girl meant those two were on good terms again and that Fujiko herself could be free from blame. Through her mild bonding, the femme fatale almost smiled at seeing her being minded over so well.

"You're in bed now; you can open your eyes."

"Hi," she whispered as she cracked open her lids.

"Hey there, world still spinning?"

"Yes," she replied pulling the sheets over her face."

"Was it worth it?"

"A little bit."

Jigen stood there over the girl and wondered how bad it actually was that she needed to get this way. He had a feeling she would do it often since it was the first reaction she had to her lovely phone call.

"How in the world did you get home?"

"I was with Fujiko."

"What? Why?"

"Please, my head hurts…no more questions," she groaned while rolling over on her side.

"Very well, I'm going to go then."

"Wait, I don't want to be…" but whatever it was, Jigen would never know as she passed out in the middle of her sentence.

"She'll sleep well tonight," he thought to himself, "but will wake up with one horrendous headache."

Lingering for a moment, he stayed to make sure she was indeed asleep. There were very few moments where the girl in front of him was so vulnerable and it was almost touching to see her actually needing help, must less accepting it.

The next morning, Jess wandered out late morning to see everyone out in the living room save Fujiko. Sliding her feet across the ground, the light was a bit too bright for the throbbing pain in her head. After grabbing an aspirin and a glass of water, she sat down with the rest of the group.

"I was personally disappointed not to see you lying face first on the floor this morning," Lupin remarked behind a newspaper as Jess was just sitting down.

"Ha, for all I know I could have been to America and back and had not known it."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't remember anything past Fujiko and I's conversation last night. I'm just happy I found myself in a bed alone. Speaking of, where is she?"

"She began the first part of the job. We'll see her in about a week."

"Sounds good."

"You remember nothing?" Jigen asked.

"Nope. Why? Was there something I missed?"

"No…"


	10. High Rise Escapade

High Rise Escapade

Two weeks had since past between the thieves' arrival and the present time, allowing a short period of breathing between each acquisition. Although it was important to remember that the heist was coming up shortly and that Fujiko had already left to begin her part, the others maintained as though it were months away. Practice reminded them to carry on as if it were a normal 9 to 5 job (meaning to not stress about it.)

The weather had also improved as spring was beginning to show its head between bouts of rain and gusty wind. Almost three months had passed since beginning the job, but it had seemed much shorter due to constant travel and the busy schedule they had to keep. Even though they kept quiet in their inconspicuous hotel room, they knew every detail pertinent to their mark – the rich, but very ill Blake Yonner.

"Jess, are you about ready?"

"Yea," she replied walking out of her room in her white lab coat and carrying her kit of medical supplies. Straightening her cuff and fixing her hair, the woman was everything in concerns to 'ready.' "It's about that time, isn't it?"

"Right, let's go over this one more time."

Lupin stood by the door in matching attire with Jigen (scrubs being their outfit of choice this time around) while Goemon had donned the apparel of a maintenance man. As soon as Jess approached the master thief began:

"At this moment, Fujiko has done her part of putting the mild poison in Yonner's nightly water that goes with his cornucopia of pills. If Jess is correct, and 8 years of college is backing that she is, it will take effect in 45 minutes."

"Are you sure Fujiko has gained enough trust to be in charge of such things?" the samurai inquired.

"Yes; she sent a message last night that the papers we created as her being a licensed care-giver were legit enough for Yonner's bodyguards. In fact, they call her a complete angel."

"Hah, she is obviously the best actress there is, then, because that's total bull sh…"

"Please continue, Lupin," Jess cut in although slightly laughing at what Jigen was about to say. She needed to make sure she had everything straight, so maintaining a focused mentality was key for the doctor.

"Well, a call should be going through at any moment, which we are already set to intercept, to which we'll continue on with part B. Goemon, you set to head to the roof?"

"Yes, I will see you all in about an hour," Goemon replied. Gathering his needed materials, the samurai then left the other three for his position that would later become extremely important in terms of survival.

"Now, I told Goemon this earlier so he's fine to leave, but you need to know Zenigata learned of our plan."

"That's kind of a big deal, man."

"You would think, but thankfully us scoundrels all think the same since Yonner made Pops keep his distance. He's not allowed on the premises (since the old man has some secrets of his own he doesn't need the law finding,) but if the house goes into alarm, he's allowed to send in the police brigade."

"Sounds impossible."

"You forget who you are working with my bearded friend," Lupin exclaimed with a smirk, "just remember where our ending destination is."

"Lupin has a thing for changing addresses as frequently as possible," Jigen remarked to Jess."

"I've noticed, I think it is related to his inability to commit," she responded in the same teasing manner.

"Ha ha, you two are_ really _cute, but it's my own little safety precaution to keep me from ending up in a communal jail shower with some guy named Bubba who has a fancy for my fine form."

Point being made, Lupin opened the door for his comrades and set out to complete their task. Group dynamic was good and he had a feeling it would be an interesting night.

Blake Yonner (the center of the group's interest), had made millions by buying up residential communities and turning them into large money generating skyscrapers - seemingly a normal businessman to the general public. It was only the seedier side of the world that knew of his interests in trinkets relating to his English ancestry and the lengths he go through to get them.

He kept homes in many major cities in order to oversee his industries, but made sure each home was no more than 5 miles away from the best hospital in town. It seemed that while he took great care of his wealth, it was his health that was failing miserably. Yonner had made it a point this year to go to the black market sale in his home country, but paid for it as his body couldn't really seem to take all the flying. It was suggested that he take on a caregiver, and it was then he met the beautiful Fujiko Mine who set the group's plan into action.

In Tokyo, Yonner's home looked as all the others in the sea of city buildings. Taking up residence on the top floor of one of his sky reaching citadels, the penthouse was the only place for a man of his fortune. All around his lofty post, body guards stood as sentinels throughout and never paid mind to the full staff of maids and service workers who scurried in a quiet fashion so as not to be yelled at. In fact, so great was their disregard for the servants that none of the bodyguards would recall ever seeing the window cleaner who silently made his way to the top floor on his rickety plank of wood held on only by a thin pulley system.

"My Fujiko dear, are you sure you sent the message to the hospital?"

"Yes sir, they said it would take no longer than 10 minutes and that's the time it takes just to take the elevator."

"Oh, you are such an angel – always looking out for me. If I were younger I wouldn't hesitate to make you my wife."

"I'm…flattered sir."

Lying in his private study, Blake Yonner only let his "trusted" caretaker stay with him while his guards stood in wait of the doctor. The poison had done its job in simulating chest pain, although it was only spasms and not a real problem. The idea was to replicate and it worked perfectly. Sitting patiently in her chair next to the ailing man, Fujiko cooed and told him all the things a man wants to hear when he's sick. It was only a short while until the expected knock came at the door.

"Mr. Yonner, the doctor is here," one of the large hulks standing outside the door said as he opened the door slightly.

"Did you check her papers?"

"Yes, she's all clear."

"Excellent, bring her in."

"There's just one thing, sir…"

"What is it? The more you delay the more this problem may snowball into something worse."

"She brought her nurses…but they are men."

"Oh, sir," Fujiko cut in, "that's just a new trend. Many men are finding satisfaction out of being a nurse these days."

"Well, if Miss Mine finds no problem with them, than I certainly don't. If it makes you feel better, you can keep them outside."

"Very well, sir."

From there, the door was opened for the lovely young doctor who strolled in with all the confidence she could conjure. Nodding slightly to Fujiko, she sat down next to Yonner and opened her medicine bag.

"I'll let you and Dr. Abraham be alone, sir. In the mean time, I'll tend to those nurses."

"Always so cordial, of course my dear." The old man watched with adoring eyes after his caretaker and only turned his gaze back to the other woman in the room after the door had completely closed. Jess was amazed at Fujiko's ability to capture men so intently, but it was what she did best.

"Now Mr. Yonner, I hear you are having chest pains. May I listen?" Jess indicated while taking out her stethoscope.

"Most certainly. You have received all my records correct?"

"Yes sir," she replied and listened for a bit. "It sounds as though it just a mild irregular beat. I can give you a shot of something that will calm it down and regulate its rhythm."

Nodding, Yonner accepted and trusted the doctor's advice. They were the ones who had kept him alive longer than he was quite sure he should be. He winced only for a moment as she injected him in the arm and waited for it to take affect. What he felt, though, was wooziness and when the serum took fully over him, his eyes closed softly and he drifted off to sleep.

Waiting a moment to make sure Yonner was laid in a comfortable position; Jess then brushed herself off and opened the door to the study. What she found to her left and right were the two guards who had formerly been standing post quite unconscious. Unfazed by this site, she stood staring at her watch and listened for any commotion that could mean trouble.

Time was of the essence, as the serum would wear off in 30 minutes, and as time went by without any change, Jess began to get antsy.

"Where are they?" she asked out loud after the 25 minute mark.

"Right here," Lupin responded as he, Jigen, and Fujiko came in breathing heavily but smiling at having found the desired keys. "He had them in a safe in his room. They always like to have their valuables in their rooms…so unoriginal."

"Great, but you all cut it short," Jess responded as she opened her medicine bag and pulled each of the thieves' guns. "I was getting worried that the old guy would…"

But Jess stopped in mid sentence when she and the others heard a heavy sigh coming from the room to whose doorway they stood in. Looking back, they saw Yonner squint his eyes and upon realization of what was happened grasped for an object around his neck.

"You…you bastards," was all he was able to spit out as he pressed the button on the small remote connected to a hidden necklace. The house, usually a gloomy and silent fortress, suddenly came alive with the all too familiar sounds of sirens.

"We need to go now," Lupin exclaimed taking his gun with the others. "To the roof; hurry!"

Sprinting down a long hallway, they passed more unconscious guards who had fallen victim to the thieves' heavy blows. Mixed between were the scrubs the two men had worn as they had since changed in their more comfortable and familiar attire. Footsteps could now be heard and when finally reaching the sign labeled "roof," the gang scrambled to reach the edge of the building.

"What happened?" Goemon asked as he saw the rest running towards him.

"The old guy had some fight in him. Zenigata's men are coming. Zip line ready?"

"Yes, car's waiting at the bottom of the second building."

While the majority of the group had successfully infiltrated and acquired the desired keys, Goemon had made his way to the top of the building using the window cleaner's pulley. From there he had strung a zip line from Yonner's building to another across the street. Finishing just as the others had shown up, he was glad he constructed it with haste.

"Be careful, the only way it would fit was to put it at the very edge past the slope," Goemon warned as pointed to the slight slope the building took at the top.

Standing back, each took to the zip line one at a time. Goemon went first to test his craftwork would indeed hold. Keeping true, the structure was safe and as soon as he landed on the other side Fujiko flew across, followed by Lupin who promised to ensure her safety. Next to go, Jess reached up to take hold of the bar that would swing her to safety, but heard a maniacal laugh erupt behind her.

"No way are you going to escape, Lupin," a familiar voice yelled.

"Shit – Zenigata's here, we're both going on this turn, Jess," Jigen whispered.

Placing only one hand on the bar, Jigen turned around to take a few shots at the incoming crowd of policemen who were beginning to swarm the roof. Bullets flew past his ears that were still ringing from the sirens that blared around him. Finally, after fending off enough to ensure some safety, he began to push off until he suddenly felt the bar loosen and heard a scream.

Turning back around, he looked down with widened eyes at Jess clinging to the side of the building and wincing in what appeared to be immense pain. The bullet that had whizzed past his ear had snapped the handle of the zip line and had dropped the girl holding onto it with unexpected force. With luck, she grabbed on to the edge, but not without gauging her leg along the rough concrete rim.

"Hold on!"

"I don't have any other choice!"

Jigen reached down and grabbed the young woman with both arms and dragged her up and looked across to the other building where the rest of the gang stood with an expression of both horror and amazement.

"Goemon, you know what you have to do! Cut the wire and get the hell out of here!"

"We can't just leave you all, man!" Lupin yelled back.

"You friggin' can and will! Goemon, cut it!"

With a nod, Goemon complied as he knew it was what must be done to carry on the heist. As hard as it was for him to see the string fall limp against the building he had just stood on while Jess and Jigen struggled to stay out of gunfire, he remained cold in all extremities so as to not express his guilt.

While the rest of the gang made their way to the car, Jigen had finally pulled the wounded woman from the side of the building.

"Well, we're stuck between a rock and a hard place," the gunman remarked with a sigh as the two took safety behind a large pile of storage crates. In the distance his friends became smaller and smaller until they disappeared into the building across the street.

"Jigen, put this in your pocket," Jess replied quickly as she removed some items from her medicine bag and handed them to them to the man seated next to her.

"What are they for?"

"My leg, I'll need them later."

"Are you able to walk?"

"Well, I can't fly as I found out."

"OK, I got an idea."

Before he could act, though, Lupin appeared again on the building across the way and shouted to the detective who was beginning to close in on the two who had been stranded.

"Hey Pops, you definitely missed me! I hope you aren't getting too old. I thought you were cleverer than that!"

"LUPIN!" Inspector Zenigata cried. "How did you men miss him? Get him you idiots!"

Giving his friends enough time to move, Lupin had distracted the Inspector just enough for them to make their way to the inconspicuous window-cleaner pulley that held tight against the building.

Blinded in his need to catch the master thief, Zenigata turned around in an attempt to head Lupin off on the street. While he and his confused men pushed through the small roof door, the doctor and the gunman made their way slowly to the pulley. Nearly dragging the girl, Jigen set her as carefully as possible on the plank and the jumped on himself.

"So, how much do you trust me," he asked eyeing the policemen.

"This question only means one thing."

"Yea, hold on."

Taking hold of the lever in one hand and the girl in the other (who clung on to her human crutch with all the courage that was left in her weakening frame) Jigen pushed it down and to the ground they flew.

Windows zoomed past, though Jess never saw as she kept her eyes closed. Although it would have been possible to go down slowly, it was not an option if they wished to stay ahead of the policemen and Yonner's guards who were sure to follow upon finding their boss in his drugged state.

As they neared the sidewalk below, the lamps of the Tokyo night began to brighten their way in their frightening decent, leaving the events of the night back at the top of the building. Closer and closer the pavement came and with a shove and a grunt, the gunman was able to stop the pulley a few feet from the ground.

"You didn't have to go _that_ fast!"

Hoping down first from the plank, Jigen reached up and grabbed the wounded woman. People were beginning to gather at the sight of the pair. It wasn't every day people fell from the sky bleeding.

"I know, but we need to move. Grab onto my arm. It's going to be a long night."


	11. It's All I Ask

It's All I Ask

The Tokyo night life is usually a world to marvel at. The amount of lights and attractions can easily rival that of New York. People always seem to be going somewhere important – even the homeless who crazily ask for donations seem to have a purpose. But, on the night the infamous Lupin gang sprang their trap in the bustling city, most fascination lay with survival.

While the majority of the thieves had made it safely to the get away vehicle, two were stranded due to intervention by Inspector Zenigata. With luck, the trapped duo was able to escape being caught by riding down the pulley system Goemon had used to get up the building. From there, they ran, but not as fast as they needed to.

"Here," Jigen exclaimed with force as he dragged Jess behind the corner of a building. Peering back around, he watched for the oncoming crowd of policemen and henchmen. While he was glad they hadn't hit the streets yet, he was concerned over the condition of the woman with him. Turning to his right, the gunman looked into her eyes and then down at her leg. It was still bleeding – she wouldn't be moving anywhere fast.

"Does it hurt much?"

Jess looked up with an expression of 'are you serious?' and bent down to look at it closer.

"Dumb question; you're going to need to lose that coat. It's a beacon out here."

"Oh god, this thing looks horrible. Just take me out and shoot me."

"I don't shoot chicks."

"I'm glad you can still crack jokes while we're being…"

"Wait," he whispered as he reached over to cover her mouth. "Cops are here. Come on."

Although faint, the distinctive noise of police sirens could be heard. As soon as he was sure, Jigen grasped Jess again and began dragging her along near the shadows. They had to make their way to somewhere safe tonight, but _where_ was the question. Jess wasn't in any shape to use any evasive maneuvers and she still hadn't gotten rid of the white coat.

"Take it off," he exclaimed sternly.

"I've been trying to!" she nearly yelled. Frustrated, she loosened herself from his grasp for a moment and pulled the coat off. "It's hard when I'm being dragged around like rag doll."

In two swift movements, Jess ripped off each sleeve of the coat and stuffed them in her pocket. As she continued walking, she then began looking around for a place to throw the rest of the fabric. Nearing the end of a block, the young doctor noticed a homeless man resting against the wall and threw the coat at him.

"Here! Stay warm!" she shouted as she continued past the now startled man.

"Thank you, Miss American!" he waved back with a toothless smile. "But wait…!"

There was no waiting, though, as the two kept pushing through the throbbing crowd of Japanese and tourists who were out enjoying the Tokyo night life. Although it was good they had cover in the people, it made it even more difficult to keep ahead of the police and henchmen who were rapidly approaching. Sirens were becoming louder and it would only be a short time before they were caught.

"This way," Jigen said while still pulling the wounded girl. Hauling the girl into a narrow dark alley, he set her in between three garbage cans and indicated she get down. The ground looked toxic and the only thing that didn't seem completely diseased was a piece of cardboard to which she sat on hesitantly. Against the wall, Jess looked around at her new chosen habitat.

"You're leaving me," Jess remarked meekly with realization.

"I'll be back. I'm going to lead them away, OK?"

"I don't have a choice," she replied softly and tried to get comfortable.

"Listen, if I don't come back in an hour, you need to keep going."

"Don't say that."

"Then I'll be back for you."

Jigen didn't linger and took off back towards the street as soon as he affirmed his return. Jess, in turn, then settled in her new hiding spot and took stock of her surroundings. It was a bit frightening to think only three garbage cans stood between her and probable torture, questioning, or death. With her coat gone, she also began to feel the mean March breeze and gave a soft shiver. It luckily reminded her of what was in her pocket, though.

Pulling one of the sleeves she had previously ripped off her coat out, Jess fastened it around her leg to compress the wound. It was a deep cut, but the worst of the bleeding had ended. She was now more concerned with infection at this point and the fact that it was extremely painful to walk on it. The distance from where she currently sat and Lupin's new hideout was miles away, although it could easily be countries away in her condition. No wonder Jigen had been yanking her along. She was such dead-weight; his only option was to dump her in this alleyway. Her slight self loathing at having caused all this was interrupted when she heard footsteps from beyond her hiding place.

They were light, but quite uneven. Quick at first, then slow, quick, slow. Whoever this person was, they were acting quite strangely; but, a voice quickly followed.

"Helloooo? Miss American? I see you go this way. I want thank you! Ah, I find you!"

It was the toothless homeless man she had thrown a coat to earlier. Now regretting this kindness, she waved cautiously at the silly looking Japanese man as he leaned over the garbage cans. If he brought the cops or henchmen towards her, she would be in huge trouble.

"Ok, you thanked me, you can go…"

"O no, you first nice person to Toki!"

"Is that your name? Toki? Well, Toki, could you please leave? I need to be alone right now."

"I have person to talk now! Toki excited. I bet you wonder why I talk English good," he remarked still smiling and now sitting near the petrified doctor. She scooted as far as she could within her little area so as to keep herself from gagging at his stench.

"Oh, yea – your English is…great," Jess replied with hesitation and trying to keep Toki from speaking too loud.

"I know. I tour guide for Americans like you! You tourist?"

"You could say something like that."

"Actually, I used to be tour guide; now Toki without home."

"Why is that?" Jess asked with actual concern as the conversation began to keep her mind of worry.

"They fire me – say I not good asset. Worked for company owned by English man. Americans better – much friendlier, tip more."

"Who was the Englishman?"

"A Mr. Yonner."

Jess mouthed nearly dropped at the shear irony of her situation, but thought it right she be with another person who Mr. Yonner put in the gutter. The toothless grin was beginning to grow on the before frightened girl, but fear struck once again upon the sound of more, much heavier footsteps.

"Hey hobo," a man with an English accent yelled, "Who are you talking to, you crazy hoot?"

"I not crazy!" Toki yelled back. Although he looked again at Jess who waved a big "NO" in front of him, he continued, "I talk to this garbage can!"

"Hahaha, you're right Bill, he's nuts!" another Englishman added as both large men began laughing.

"Garbage can better conversation than you! Plus, much nicer."

"Oh, we're sure," the first man bated in fake sincerity, "I'm sure it listens to all you have to say. Hey, where did you get that coat you're wearing?"

They had finally noticed the white lab coat Toki wore and moved closer to inspect. This was it, Jess thought, they were sure to find her and take her back to be dealt with. She scrunched up tight against the metal wall of her hiding place and closed her eyes in anticipation.

"I got from American girl – nicer than you!" Toki replied moving away from Jess and toward the oncoming men.

"Where did she go, you worthless scum?"

"Why I tell you? You work for mean English man."

"Because we'll kill you," the one known as "Bill" answered.

"Oh," Toki replied softer, "she go that way."

With that, Jess expected to be dragged up by her collar and knocked unconscious, but instead she heard the heavy footsteps run away down the street in the same direction Jigen had left her. Relief permeated her entire body and muscles relaxed. Toki had saved her life.

"Like I say," the homeless man continued as though the entire henchmen event didn't occur, "You best conversation I have!"

"Thank you Toki."

"It no problem, like I say, Americans much better. I go take my spot by street back. Other homeless will take if I leave too long. Good bye!"

He left just as joyful as he came – even with a little spring in his step. Such a simple man; it was a shame he had to live the life of a beggar. But, he was a beggar who had saved the very thankful girl sitting in a mess of garbage. A coat for a life seemed a very uneven trade to her.

As the light footsteps faded and the night enveloped her again, Jess felt the sting of loneliness and wandered if Jigen would indeed come back. Forty-five minutes had passed and the night was only getting colder. She had money, but taking a cab was risky as she couldn't be too sure where the driver's alliances lied. No, she would wait as long as it took. He was a man who had to deal with this kind of thing on a daily basis and she was sure to believe that he would return. But, as the hour mark approached, worry began to spread.

While lost in the "what ifs?" Jess again heard heavy footsteps. These had a familiar fall to them, but she didn't dare look, though, in case of being wrong. But, they revealed to be person she had hoped for when a bearded face looked around the sentinel garbage can.

"Are you OK? I looked back at one point and thought I saw someone come down this alley," Jigen remarked holding his hand out to help her out of the trashy mess.

"I'm fine, and yes they came down here but I obviously survived. Did you lead them away?"

"Yea, I took them through a crappy area of town. Have it be known I didn't know it was so rough."

"Is that why you look so dirty?" Jess asked as she reached out and dusted his coat.

"Yea," he replied noting how close she was, "I nearly fell on a crackhead. What I did find was an out of the way place to stay for the night. It's not far."

Jigen reached for her arm again, but Jess held it back. She wasn't about to be dragged around again, no matter how slow she moved. With a sigh of surrender, Jigen put his arm around her shoulder to keep her moving instead.

While the street was still full of the life she had left an hour ago, it wasn't as nearly stressful as the sound of sirens had subsided and the noise of pushy henchmen shoving their way through the crowd was inaudible. Keeping to the side of building and shadows, the two moved slowly and were almost able to enjoy the world them.

Exciting turned to frightening, though, upon turning a corner towards the aforementioned seedier part of town. Lamp light was exchanged for strange movements of unknown objects and bustling crowd noises were turned into the screams of an angry couple a few stories above.

Finally, they had reached their destination – a motel tucked away against an old tenet building. Only two of the neon lights were burning on the motel sign with a third flickering. As for the walkway in front of each room, it was pitch dark aside from the old lamp near the main office.

It was this light Jigen left Jess by while he went in. He didn't want the motel owner to see her leg as it was easily distinguishable, but he had to keep an eye on her himself. As she huddled against the corner where the light stood, Jigen stepped through the squeaky door that screamed for oil and walked right up to the man at the front desk.

"Hey, I need a room."

"Ok," an old man replied getting up from an equally as old wooden chair. "How many people?"

"Two," he replied curtly – he just wanted to get out of the open as soon as possible but this man was moving slower than Jess was.

"Oh, you have a girl!" the old man replied with excitement. "You get her from 5th street?"

"What?"

"We accommodate many men like you," the old man continued with a wink, "you should come by more often. Is that the girl out there? She is lovely, possibly 34th street then?"

Confused, Jigen looked over his shoulder at Jess still huddled outside in the corner. What did this old man by getting her off the street? But, as he replayed the question over again in his head, the answer struck him with anger.

"She isn't a whore."

"Oh, no sir! I never meant that," he replied again with a wink. "She is your_ company_ that you merely bring to a motel such as this…You are lucky. She is much prettier than the other girls who provide _company_."

His inflection of the word "company" was beginning to raise the temper of the gunman. Not only did Jess look nothing like a prostitute, but the mere idea that someone hint that she was one was enough to make him wish he could reach for his gun.

"Can I just get a room?" Jigen growled.

"Of course, I just ask that you pay upfront since, well…" the old man began chuckling at what he was about to say and finally continued, "_Some_ men can't go the whole night and try to skip out without paying."

"Whatever," he replied thrusting forth some cash in an attempt to end the conversation, "here."

"Thank you, just don't be too crazy – she looks a bit delicate for anything kinky."

Snatching the keys the smirking motel owner held out to him, Jigen stomped out of the lobby and slammed the door shut behind him.

"What's wrong?" Jess asked in wonderment.

"Nothing; let's go."

She didn't ask any more questions as she didn't need to anger him any more than he obviously was. Instead, she just tried to keep up and was thankful the room wasn't far.

Upon entering their living space for the night, it wasn't anything spectacular…or necessarily clean (but it was expected.) Jigen threw his coat off and pulled a chair up to the window (leaving all lights off in the room) and pushed the curtain back a bit. No one, he decided, was going to sneak up on them tonight.

Jess headed to the bathroom after taking the medicine she had handed to Jigen earlier in the night on the roof. She knew what was coming was going to be painful, but if she wanted to keep her leg from getting infected it had to be done.

"Is it OK if I turn on the light in here?" she exclaimed from the bathroom.

"Yea its fine," he replied keeping his eyes on the outside world.

Pulling up her torn pant leg, Jess first ran the water a bit in the bath tub to give her some hot water to work with. When all was prepared and she had taken the old bandage off, she bit her lip and dipped her wounded leg in the steaming liquid. It took her a moment, but the pain soon slipped away as she let the cut inflame a bit and open so that she could continue with the next and worst step.

With a sigh, Jess pulled her leg out of the water and tried to mentally prepare herself for what she was about to do. In her hand was a bottle of hydrochloric acid – a very strong dosage of it used to immediately clean out any bacteria that would be present. Her leg, dripping from the hot water was the subject of her gaze. Pouring a bit of the HCl into the cap of the bottle, she bit her lip again and poured it all over the wound.

"AHHH! Son of a BITCH!" was the scream heard from the other room. Its occupant, upon hearing the yelp of pain came running to see what had happened.

"What's wrong?"

He looked down to see Jess sitting on the edge of the bathtub, face in her hands and tears streaming out the side of her fingers. Hydrochloric acid bottle was sitting on the edge of the counter with the cap obviously thrown upon being dumped in pain.

"I'll…I'll be fine. I just cleaned it," she replied between sobs. "It just hurt so much more than getting it scraped in the first place."

"What can I do?"

"Just hand me that clean sleeve I tore off. I put disinfectant on it as well to make sure I'd be fine."

Jigen handed her the asked for sleeve to which she took and tied around her leg. Her face was still red from the shock of pain and a few tears stuck to her eyelashes. Taking a deep breath, Jess allowed her body to relax again and hide away her vulnerability.

"Come here," he finally said as he bent down to pick her up, "you aren't permitted to walk anymore tonight. Can't have your friggin' leg fall off."

"Thank you," Jess replied upon being set down on the edge of the bed. Jigen again took his chair by the window, but as the room wasn't large, the distance between the two was about a foot.

A beam of light shown through the slit in the curtain; enough illumination to catch the young woman's attention of the man who sat in it. She had known this man, this man she could touch if she just stretched her arm. Eyes attempting to dart away, Jess looked at the clock in the corner and noticed the whole fiasco of the night had taken place over many hours and yet it seemed much shorter. Time noted, her gaze returned to the man who had taken her attention in the first place.

"What is it?" Jigen asked still staring through the window.

"Huh?" Jess replied in being awoken from her daydreaming.

"You're staring at me."

"I was mostly thinking," she answered softly, "I realized that I just had some of the most exciting and utterly frightening moments all in the past 3 hours."

"Frightening?" he continued with eyes glued to the outside, "Maybe. Exciting? I've been through better."

"Are you hinting that you were actually scared? That's insane; you aren't one to be afraid."

"I'm not going to say anymore; you'll just make fun of me."

"Fine – be mysterious and see if I care," Jess declared as she put up her feet and lay down.

"Are you going to sleep?"

"I didn't plan on it. You are obviously going to stay up all night and I was going to talk with you so you wouldn't get too tired, but you apparently aren't one to share tonight."

Jigen didn't respond to the mild teasing and kept looking forward. His mood was strange tonight, but it had to be realized it wasn't a normal night. The silence was a bit unnerving for the young woman who finally blurted:

"I'm sorry for falling and getting us into this mess. If you are angry over this fact, please tell me so I don't feel so awkward sitting here trying to make you laugh. Say the word, and I'll just roll over and be quiet until we need to leave in the morning."

Again he made no sign of an immediate response and kept his vision steadfast. But, after a minute, he turned his head and looked straight into her eyes.

"One of the most terrifying friggin' moments in my life is seeing you hang from that ledge. I've been through you dying once – to have to go through it again would…well, it'd be too much."

"Jigen, are you angry with me for leaving all those years ago?"

"Sometimes," he replied turning his gaze back to the window.

"I thought there were other girls between that and now."

"There were. But, no one is going to find a girl you'd like to bring home to mom in this business. Most of them used me while the others died in some unfortunate way. They all told me things I wanted to hear and made involvement easy."

"Well, I 'died' too. You make it seem like I am different."

"You were a challenge," he continued as though telling a story, "You certainly weren't after anything and you weren't about to let anyone close to you without jumping through some ridiculous hoops. That sarcasm that bit with a sour tinge made conversation actually interesting and you never let me forget how deadly cigarettes friggin' were."

"Thanks; you have officially made me sound shitty."

"No; I didn't realize it until later, after watching Lupin incessantly fall for Fujiko and her manipulating, that men want what is pretty damn near impossible."

"You're uncharacteristically open tonight."

"It's not a normal night."

The comment made Jess raise an eyebrow at his seeming ability to read her mind.

"What about yourself Ms. Abraham?"

"What about me?"

"How am I supposed to take those pictures?"

"You take them or you leave them."

"I'm glad we're getting nowhere."

"Listen, while you may have gone through a string of girls in my absence, I was only with one other man. Those pictures ended that relationship and possible friendship."

"Do you miss him?" Jigen asked cautiously.

"The problem was I missed you more."

The comment almost made the gunman stop in astonishment. Admitting wasn't in her character – especially in matters of her heart. At least he knew she wasn't drunk.

"What about now?"

"Now is hard."

"Why?"

"I have my reasons; I feel like being secretive about it for a bit longer."

"Have it your way."

The pair was silent again and both looked to the outside world as a means to ponder over what just occurred. It didn't take long, though, for Jess to become unsettled as she pushed her way into a standing position right in front of the wondering man.

"Hey, hey, I thought we decided that you shouldn't be on that leg for the rest of the night."

"Put your arms up."

"What? Why?"

"Please."

Jigen put his arms up hesitantly and watched her intently on why she had made such an odd request. His answer came swiftly, though, as Jess sat softly on his lap and laid her head on his shoulder. Letting her hand fold delicately in her own lap, she breathed a sigh of exhaustion. Jigen's own arms followed suit, allowing him the feeling of having one around her again.

"Hey there," he whispered.

"I'm taking these," she whispered back as she slipped her hand into his coat jacket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

"You taking up smoking?"

"No, and you know why."

"I'll try; no promises."

"It's all I ask."

"Does this mean we are trying again?"

"I'll try; no promises."

"It's all _I _ask."


	12. Home Again, Home Again

Home Again, Home Again

"I don't like this, Lupin, why haven't they come back yet?"

Fujiko stood peering through the window towards the street. She and the rest of the group had waited up the night thinking that Jigen and Jess would show up at anytime, but as the morning light began to show itself, worry began to spread.

"Well, staring at the road out there won't make them come here faster," Lupin responded. Stretched out on the couch near Fujiko's lookout, the master thief's manner was abnormally cool for the situation, or that is what the femme fatale thought.

"How can you just lay there so nonchalantly? It's _your_ best friend who's out there!"

"Well, I know that Yonner's men didn't get a hold of them as we haven't received a ransom or ultimatum."

"And we know that the police haven't arrested them as I just called every jail in Tokyo for possible detainment," Goemon added as he walked into the tension filled room.

"Nothing you say?" Lupin asked. "I was almost hoping for that as it's quite easy to bust them out. But, maybe they are doing well on the road."

"Did not Jessica cut her leg?"

"You saw that too, Goemon? Damn, I was hoping I had just seen things in all the excitement."

"So, let's sum up the situation," Fujiko remarked from her window, "Two key players are M.I.A., one bleeding all over the place, the other probably hauling her around, and the mastermind behind the entire thing is laying on the couch day dreaming about only God knows what. Great."

"You know you're adorable when you pout."

"You're impossible." Fujiko threw her hands in the air and sat down next to Lupin. "How long do we wait?"

"Until they come back."

The three comrades were silent for a moment. It was strange to them to have something go so bad that it led to a cloud of ill ease.

"Any plans if they do not return?" Goemon finally asked.

"No – they're coming back. I can just sense it." Lupin's response was resolute and he accentuated this feeling by folding his arms.

"Lupin…you need to at least consider…"

But Fujiko's plea was cut short when a sudden ring filled the room. From the corner, the house phone was sounding that an incoming call was waiting to be answered. The thieves had merely rented the small house, making the ring seem strange. Who would know to call here? Sure it could be a telemarketer, but the bigger worry was that someone had finally been captured by the wrong people.

Approaching the phone as though it contained a bomb, Lupin hesitated. One of many results could come from answering, but he wouldn't know until he picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey man, what's going on?"

Lupin's mouth gaped, but he regained his composure quick enough so as to not let on his surprise to the person on the other end of the wire.

"Jigen! What the hell? Where are you?" Lupin could hear Fujiko and Goemon mumbling at the recognition of the gunman.

"We're at some shitty hotel on the outskirts of Tokyo. But, enough about us, how are you doing?"

"We were worrying about you two, but now that you're being a smug jerk about it maybe we'll just leave now…wait, you said 'we're,' is Jess there?"

"Yea, she messed up her leg like a novice…ouch…OK, well she just punched me in the shoulder, so apparently I'm not allowed to say that."

Covering his hand over the speaker of the phone, Lupin looked back and remarked to the others: "They're fine," and then continued to the one on the phone. "Are the streets still crawling with Zenigata's men?"

"Yea; that and Yonner's lackeys. It's not safe out here."

"How far away are you two?"

"About five miles."

"Can you make it two on foot? I can take care of the rest."

Lupin heard the phone get muffled as a low voice mumbled a question. There was a slight pause followed by a soft response from the girl it was posed to. Again there was another pause until an eruption of laughter broke it.

"Yea, what do you have in mind?" Jigen continued.

"Wait, what was the laughing about?"

"You don't want to hear it. You'll just say I'm turning her."

"Oh man, I don't need another one of you. I still hear her chuckling, she must be proud of herself."

"Pretty sure your right. She said that if she was Fujiko in this situation she wouldn't have to walk anywhere and I'd have to agree."

"Ah Jigen, you just don't understand love," Lupin responded, trailing off in horrible fantasy.

"If love turns me into a pathetic, puppy dog eyed loser like you, than I'll pass. Now, about those two miles…"

Lupin, after a quick flip through the phone book he found under the heaps of papers associated with the heist, was able to put together a rendezvous point and a car to be ready at said place. He offered a good hearted good bye to his friend, then, and hung up the phone with a proud smirk.

"I told you they were alive and well," Lupin exclaimed waltzing over to the couch and the others. "The best part is they will be here in a couple of hours and we can still make our flight tomorrow morning to Brazil."

"More travel?" Fujiko slumped down in a huff upon hearing she would have to adjust to another time zone.

"Yes, but you will be happy to know I have a surprise for everyone after we get the last key."

"Surprise!" Fujiko cried in excitement from her slump.

"You better believe it, Fujicakes, but you won't know until then."

Five miles away, two souls peeked outside their hotel room at the bright sunshine. Covering every inch of their surroundings with their eyes, each decided it was safe to venture out. They had both stayed awake the entire night and were beginning to feel the effects upon being exposed to the light.

"How are we going to recognize this car Lupin has waiting for us?" Jess asked while blinking at the seemingly oppressive morning.

"He said we would just know. That means it's going to be friggin' ridiculous."

"Awesome…Jigen…" Jess had stopped halfway down the motel walkway and was staring in the direction of the main office. "Why is that man giving you the thumbs up and winking?"

Jigen looked to where his companion was focusing and realized it was the man who he had gotten the room key from the previous night. Stomach dropping a bit upon the reason of the creepy man's approval, Jigen tried to keep moving as though it weren't happening.

"Believe me, you don't want to know."

"Sounds like I should know."

Scratching the back of his head in indecision, Jigen muttered a response.

"Wait, what did you say?"

"He, uh, thinks you're a whore."

Jess raised her eyebrows at the comment, but turned back around to give the creepy man a response. Holding up her hands like a fisherman who shows how large a fish was, Jess then mouthed an "Amazing".

"There you go."

Jigen looked down at the beaming woman next to him and shook his head and chuckled at her retaliation. "Come on, you had your revenge."

The streets of Tokyo had taken a complete 180 compared to the night prior. While still full of people, they were no longer the party crowd and had metamorphasized into the driven, suit wearing, working public. There was no more hurried pushing and anxious scurrying. Like a school of fish, the crowds seemed to move together, allowing the two thieves to just ride the current of people and blend into the environment.

Holding lightly to her cohort's sleeve, Jess strolled delicately from her good foot to the bad across the pavement and reflected on what all had occurred last night. Her plan to wait was obviously shaken loose from its hiding place. For a moment, the idea that she had finally caved into internal needs seemed silly, but she then realized whose arm she held on to.

A light flashed to her right, causing her to glance quickly in the direction. Nothing more than cars flying by, she should be more discreet and not let the anxiety of hanging off a building stay with her. Was that really just a day ago? Seemed ages. No, last night seemed ages, almost falling was eons. What was the time?

"It's about noon."

"Oh" Jess replied shortly with surprise, "I guess I was half thinking out loud."

"It's fine."

There was that quiet again – he was focusing on other things. He hadn't even looked at her in his response. The world around was of more interest, but she didn't blame him. They were still being looked for although her concentration landed more with trying not to be so obvious with her limping.

Not as keen to the people around her, Jess lazily viewed the strange products arranged in the store windows. The bright lights and shining objects were hard not to look at, which was their purpose. While they all held their own interesting aura, it was the electronics display that caught the doctor's attention.

"Jigen," Jess whispered, pulling on the arm she held, "we're famous."

Jigen finally stopped and turned his attention toward the window that had caught his companion's eye. The TV's were all on the same channel, so his eye didn't have to wander far. So there, on the largest screen in the store, was a squat Japanese man looking very official with a graphic of two individuals next to him. The one was a real picture of a man in a dark suit and hat while the other was a sketch of a woman who was labeled his "cohort."

"Haha, yea this happens every time we pull a job. All the local stations get our pictures from INTERPOL and have a friggin' field day."

"Yea, well at least your picture is definitely of you. I assume that sketch of 'cohort' is me."

"Seems that way _cohort_, I think it's a good likeness."

"I'll pretend like you didn't say that."

The two had stopped by this point to watch the report about their 'High Rise Heist' as the media had labeled it. It showed all of the gang's pictures in sequence with the two watching having their own little segment claimed to be 'still around town and possibly dangerous.' While Jigen's picture was obviously him, the sketch used for 'cohort' seemed as though it had been drawn by a 5th grader.

"I'm not used to having notoriety."

"Well, you do now _cohort_, let's roll."

"Ok, but please say I don't look like that…jerk." As Jigen began to move away, Jess was then pulled along as she still held tight to his sleeve. Although her feet were moving, she kept looking back at the TV screens in amazement. That short Japanese man kept talking about the heist – she wanted to know more. But, as Jigen kept moving and a glare spread across the window, Jess slowly turned back around to face her destination.

"How long do you think it'll take for you to heal up?" Jigen offered after Jess regained her focus to the front.

"From what I saw last night in the hotel room, it'll be a little bit yet. It's a deeper cut than I thought."

"How bad are we talking?" he then asked looking down at her bum leg.

"Well, I'm not going to lose it if that's what you're thinking. No worries; I won't have a peg leg."

"Hey, some guys might get their kicks from a pirate theme."

"Are you trying to tell me something?" A smile began to eclipse her face.

"No, no, please keep two legs."

Jess had held on to Jigen's sleeve throughout the entire walk but only now felt the urge to pull closer. She acted on it, almost touching her head to his shoulder. She could still smell a hint of tobacco smoke on him.

"Last night…"

"Regrets?"

"Well, no but I..."

"Then that's all I need to know."

He brought his arm closer to his body which in turn brought her closer, but still didn't look at her. Jess thought that if she could see his eyes they would be diverted the other way. He may even blush. She would have continued on this trail of thought but was stunned by the sight in front of her.

"What is _THAT_? Jess exclaimed. It was ugly enough to point out.

In a parking lot on the side of a small convenience store sat a small, bright red, clown like car with a huge 3 painted on the side. The tires were unusually small, as though they were all spare tires – no hub caps on top of it. The kicker was the broken window in the back right window that had been covered up by a shining black trash bag.

"I think we found the car."

The two returned to the remaining thieves as though they had merely stepped out to get groceries. Although the three in the house had warm smiles, they were only met with the usual repertoire.

"About time you got here, Jigen." Lupin was the first to receive the incomers at the door and gave Jigen a good handshake.

"It's true, our flight leaves tomorrow," Goemon added.

"Yea, yea, you guys would get nothing done without me."

"Need a hand with our little _falling_ angel?" Lupin looked over to Jess who still held tight to Jigen and laughing at the way men cover up concern for each other. He held out his hand and for a moment she hesitated. But, just ask quickly as she balked, she let go and took the outstretched hand.

"Heaven knows I'm no angel."

Lupin looked down at Jess' leg and frowned in disappointment.

"Yea, you're going to take too long, come here…" With a heave he came at her like a lineman going in for a tackle and put Jess over his shoulder. "Jigen, I hope you don't mind?"

"_What the hell…put me down!"_

"Go ahead; she's been nothing but dead weight."

"_Dead weight? You'll regret that later!"_

"Do you hear something, man?"

"_I know you hear me!"_

"Can't say I do."

"_Oh for heaven sakes, I give up…"_

So short and unassuming, the group would never verbally say how lucky it had seemed that Jess and Jigen returned, but it _was _an occupational hazard. They were together again and it was time to continue on with the job – there had been some truth when mentioned they would continue on if the duo had not come back.

Morning would bring another flight and another country. What rest on everyone's mind, though, was that only one key remained. The time was approaching for the job to be over - only one night to forget about Japan and to be set on Brazil.

"You feeling OK man?"

Lupin and Jigen mozied down the hall to their respective rooms after a shared dinner. It was late and all lights in the house had been turned off. The only noise could be heard from Fujiko's room – a soft hum as she got herself ready for bed. Stopping at Jigen's door, Lupin made sure his partner and best friend was in his right mind.

"I'm fine; you aren't expecting me to share my friggin' feelings, are ya?"

"Hey, just checking. Don't want you crying all night in your pillow."

"Right man, we'll have a kum-bi-ya circle tomorrow."

"Sounds good; I'll see you in the morning."

"Bright and early - night."

Jigen went into his room and immediately threw off his coat to an obliging chair. It had been a long day and the bed was looking as welcoming as a liquor bottle. He could hear Lupin continue his walk down the hall and then stop in front of Fujiko's door. Typical, he thought to himself.

The one thing he wanted the most was a cigarette. It had been a few days and the anxious needs were beginning to kick in. He pushed them away. Jess would be sure to smell it. Her hate for it could be felt with a single glare. Well, maybe he should light one up just to get her to find him. She was always walking around at night.

Throwing away the smoking idea, Jigen flicked off the light with a heavy sigh. He slid into bed and rolled over on his side just in time to hear a door creak down the hall way. Jigen cringed; Lupin must have taken care of his business in Fujiko's room. It wasn't a thought he wanted to end his night with, but Jigen was sure Goemon would sympathize with him the next morning as his room was next door as well. The door closed now after being sneakingly opened and he waited for the usual cocky stride only his best friend had.

What he heard, though, were soft wisps tracing down the hall past his door. He sat up to listen to what he thought was a normal night occurrence. A shadow flew past his the small light that illuminated under his door. More sounds came from the kitchen, mostly clanging. What was happening? Was it Fujiko getting something? Or maybe Jess? It was definitely not a guy walking around.

"Hey Jigen?"

The voice caught him off guard. "Uh, yea Jess, something wrong?"

Jess cracked the door to Jigen's room and popped her head in allowing the door to open the rest of the way by itself. She stood there, staring directly at the man who sat straight up in his bed.

She was wearing the same skimpy night gown she did the night he found her again. Now, though, the light behind her allowed little to the imagination as to what it covered. Arms hanging loosely to her sides, Jess took a long deep breath and walked in.


	13. You Can Sleep On The Plane

You Can Sleep On The Plane

An ethereal ghost – that's what she looked like. Not real at all. In the doorway with all the light in the world behind her, the only part that looked real was the tight gleaming bandage on her leg. Her dark brown hair still wisped about her face and framed the dark ovals that were her eyes.

"Is there something wrong?"

"I wanted to…to thank you."

"Thank me? I didn't do anything."

Jess closed the door and with it was sucked away all light. Jigen strained his eyes to see what his visitor was doing. He could hear her – tracing slowly across the carpet in uneven strides towards him. She was trying to cover up her limp.

Since Lupin tossed her in her room, they hadn't heard a peep out of Jess all night. They had all assumed she had fallen asleep. The creak of the mattress at Jigen's feet said otherwise.

"I haven't had to say 'thank you' for a couple of years. Well, aside from being given a gift or being handed the salt or something. But, I think surviving a night like that deserves it."

"It's no big deal. This seems to be the standard procedure when working with Lupin."

Jigen's eyes had finally adjusted by this point. He leaned forward and realized she was only a foot away from him. She was looking down and watching her feet swing back and forth off the edge of the bed like a child. Her mouth was drawn up into a tight indifferent smile and arms laid like lifeless puppet limbs in her lap. It was such a striking difference from a few months ago when she chatted endlessly around a small kitchen cooking half formed gingerbread men. That morning was the happiest he had seen her since finding her again.

"Well, I suppose that's all I wanted to say," Jess finally replied in a deep sigh, "I will see you tomorrow…"

"Jessica."

Jess stopped immediately in her assent to leave and stared directly at the gunman. Her eyes widened.

"My full name…?" she whispered.

"I asked you a question the first night I realized you weren't actually 6 feet under and you said no. I'm going to ask again, but if I receive the same answer…"

"Jigen..."

"Stay with me tonight."

Full moon eyes soon became soft crescents as her tightened mouth relaxed into a relieved smile. She sat back a little and brought her legs up on the bed. Turning her body to fully face him Jess' arms came alive as one nonchalantly positioned itself on his right while the other on his left. For a moment she rocked back and forth, until all at once she made a slow and catlike motion forward.

In a low, honeyed voice, Jess replied: "I will on one condition."

"I…you…drive a hard bargain," Jigen exclaimed with a gulp.

"Well," she moved a piece of hair slowly behind her ear and looked squarely into Jigen's widened eyes. "You aren't allowed to be disappointed/angry with me with what I'm about to say."

"You'd think I'd learn to not take conditions from women by now…but, let's hear it."

"When I got back I tried to redress my wound and found out it got mildly infected." Jess moved from her hovering position to sitting next to her companion. She still leaned extremely near his body. "I took a painkiller and then took an injection of anti-biotics. My leg was still throbbing, and I still had to close the cut, so I took more of the painkiller... Long story short: I accidentally took a dose for a grown man and a half."

"What does that mean? Are you going to 'die' again?"

"Haha, no. But, it does mean I'm going to drop from the narcotic in it in about 5 minutes."

"Jess…for someone so smart you do some dumb things."

"Well, I didn't want to be excluded from the last part of the job…" she was trying to reach for a valid excuse until she finally just gave up and exclaimed: "yea, you're right it was dumb."

"Hell must have frozen over."

"What do you mean?"

"You just admitted you were wrong."

Jigen smirked at his triumph and looked down to find Jess' hand on his leg. He balked a bit, but was more surprised to feel a soft warm pressure against his cheek. The sensation lingered a bit with a quick chill growing at the moisture that was left behind. He looked up to a pair of light brown orbs that shifted back and forth as though she were reading something in his eyes. The brightness, though, began to dim as her lids quickly lowered and flickered. Jigen felt the hand on his leg giving way until she began to fall into him. Hands instinctively moved to her shoulders to steady her until he found himself holding her upper body completely.

"Are you _really_ going to be OK?"

Jess fluttered her eyes open again. "Yes," she replied with a yawn, "why did you come into _that_ bar _that_ night?"

"I was already in there. You're the one walked into this all."

"Good life choice."

As morning streamed through the hallway of the small house, only one of the five dared to make a stirring so early. Lupin, who as the job was coming to the end, found himself excited to get moving to the last location. He let out a long and stretched yawn at his doorway and listened for any signs of the others. Nothing; he was disappointed.

"Who would be up at this hour," he thought to himself. Lupin looked to his left at the door which led to Goemon's room. While he would be the first usually to wake with the dawn, Lupin learned along time ago not to startle the samurai. He shook his head and looked then down the rest of the hallway. Next was Fujiko's room – after last night he wasn't going to chance another slap to the face. The mere thought led him to touch his cheek.

This directed him to Jess' room. Lupin weighed his options on this one. She would either enjoy the company or scream. She had been rather subdued lately, especially with the medicine she took last night. He knew the painkillers Jess kept in her doctor bag and knew how bad her cut was. Obviously, he decided, she needed someone to wake her up and engage her…or at least someone to prop her up and possibly cop a feel.

With a light knock, Lupin smoothed his hair and opened Jess' door. He slowly poked his head through the crack.

"Hello my little medicine woman, it's time for all good falling angels to wake…" Lupin stopped immediately. Instead of finding Jess curled up and sleeping soundly, he saw an empty and untouched bed.

"Oh no..." he whispered.

Lupin backed out of the room, unable to believe what he saw. Did she leave? She couldn't have gone far at all with such an injury. Was she taken? They have a lot of enemies, but why take her? His eyes diverted to the side of the bed. Her clothes were still here. That ruled out her leaving intenially.

"This puts a dent on things…"

He needed to take care of this immediately and realized the next door down would be his first stop. Jigen was going to be pissed. It was bad enough he was grumpy…or grumpier in the morning, but this would have him smoking a pack a minute.

For a moment Lupin hesitated. This was going to be painful, but he decided to just quickly open the door and get it over with. With a deep breath, the master thief pushed open the door, but instead of blurting out the bad news he gaped in surprise.

While the room was a bit dark, enough sunlight came in through the window and hallway to see two people in the bed. The one laying on his back was the gunman Lupin was expecting, but the person cozied up to his friend was the person he initially thought he had lost. Although his first reaction was gaping surprise, a wide and satisfied grin began pass over. What Lupin didn't realize is that he had been staring for a good minute…long enough for one of the sleepers to wake up.

"Don't even…" Jigen whispered.

"Don't what? Make some _nooooise_?" Lupin replied in the same whisper.

"If you wake her up, you'll get another hole in your face."

"Jigen you sly bastard. Getting to work, eh?" Lupin said, adding a few inappropriate motions with it.

"I swear if you friggin'…"

"Jigen…"

Jigen looked down as he felt the soft hand on his chest tighten and release, followed by the smooth leg wrapped around his own move up and down slowly.

"Is…that…yawn Lupin?" Jess asked, though she didn't open her eyes.

"Yea, that means I need to take care of something," Jigen replied, grabbing his gun next to the bed. "I'll be back."

Lupin began to back slowly away from the door, waving his hands in front of his face. "Hey, hey man; I was just joking around!"

"I'll give you 5 seconds. Then its target practice time."

Jigen waited in the doorway for a moment as he watched his friend run for his life towards the kitchen. When Lupin was out of sight, the gunman shut the door again, this time locking it. He sauntered back over to the bed.

"Sleep well?"

Jess mumbled something incoherent.

"I'm sorry; I don't understand face in pillow words."

Jess turned her head. "When do I have to get up?"

"In about 15 minutes."

"Can you just shove me out of bed if I'm not awake by then?"

"Just get up now."

Jess' eyes popped open and adjusted a glare on the man looming over the bed. "That's ridiculous."

"Hey we're both running on the same amount of sleep and I feel fine."

"Yea, well considering I have an entire pharmacy in my system…"

"Sounds like it's your dumb mistake and your problem."

"Cold as ice."

Jess rolled back over so that she lay flat on her stomach, attempting to cover her face from any light that might enter the room. Her legs twitched a bit under the covers while her arms folded underneath the pillow. Jigen sat beside her on the edge of the bed. He raised his hand for a moment, hesitantly hovering over her, until he finally let it land on the small of her back. Her skin tensed.

"You can sleep on the plane."

By the time everyone had roused themselves out of bed, the morning had fully broken. Everything was going smoothly enough, until they all realized they had only an hour and a half to get to the airport, through security, and on to the plane. Goemon, Jigen and Jess stood patiently in the front doorway while Lupin argued with the bathroom door.

"Fuji-cakes, we need to be leaving now," he pleaded.

"I said one moment," she replied in singsong.

"I find it ironic Jess can get herself ready in time with a leg out of commission," Goemon mumbled.

"That's not irony, that's just the luck you get with women," Jigen remarked.

The two men looked over their shoulders for Jess' reaction and found her propped against the doorway completely asleep.

"Well, at least she's in the upright position…" the gunman added with a sigh.

"She's not going to be too happy when she finds out she has to sit out on the fun for the next job," Lupin said still staring at the bathroom door.

"What?" Jess snapped awake and looked tiredly around.

"Just go back to sleep," Goemon said over his shoulder.

"Oh ok…" she mumbled leaning back up against the doorway.

Just as Jess settled into her unnatural sleeping position, Fujiko bust open the bathroom door in all her glamour.

"I'm ready! Aren't you glad I spent that extra time?"

"She looks the same…" Jigen muttered, although not low enough due to the scowl that the bombshell gave him.

"Ahhh…he means you look as lovely as usual. Ok, so we really need to go everyone! Someone grab sleeping beauty there and let's roll."

With some creative driving and overlooking of speed limits, the band of thieves made it to the airport in time. Sprinting across the terminal, they let out a collective sigh as they stepped foot on the massive jet. With the next plane for Brazil leaving in two days, catching this flight was pertinent to keep to their schedule. When they got on, a full plane of eyes watched them enter including a twitchy blonde stewardess who quickly approached them to get them seated.

"Hello!" she cried, startling the group. "I was wondering if I could help you find your seats!"

"Why is she screaming at us?" Jess whispered to Fujiko.

"I don't know; too much perk in her perculated coffee this morning."

"No, no we're fine Miss…we can do it ourselves," Lupin answered in a similar bubbly tone.

"But I insist!" she remarked quite loudly. One by one she grabbed the ticket in each person's hand and practically propelled them to their seat. "OK Sir! You are here!" she said throwing Goemon into his spot.

"Listen, I will not be man-handled…"

"And you Miss, next to him!" she continued throwing Jess onto the samurai. Goemon threw his hands up and blushed at having a woman tossed on him.

"Haha, hey Goemon, I guess we'll be getting close this flight," Jess laughed.

Lupin tried to intercede: "Actually, we were just going to switch tickets with who we wanted to sit with."

"No. NO! You can't do that! If they hear that I allowed another passenger to do that they'll fire me!" The flight attendant was near tears which left the group wide-eyed and mildly scared.

"There…there," Lupin said trying to consul the now weeping girl. "I guess we'll just…"

"Sit where I tell you? THANK YOU!"

The stewardess continued to haul each person to their respective seat with Lupin and Jigen sitting next to each and Fujiko next to a large, loud, snoring man. With her job securely in place, the blonde then bounded happily away back to her station where she proceeded to tell the cabin about how to buckle up properly and where the exits are in case the plane goes down in a flaming ball of death.

"This…is completely unfair," Fujiko mumbled while leaning away from her seat partner. She pouted her mouth into sour frown and glared at the two men in front of her who were trying to stifle laughter. "I hate you two."

"Think of him as a loud, sweating pillow," Jigen offered.

"Yes, a pillow that could eat you," Lupin added.

Fujiko folded her arms and huffed to her side. Grabbing her headphones from the seat pouch in front of her, Fujiko plugged into the seat and pretended she was anywhere then where she was.

With prying ears covered, Lupin turned to his friend who sat hunched against the window.

"So, have a good night sleep?" he asked with a broad smile.

"Yea," Jigen replied less enthusiastically.

"Look, I know I'm not as cute a partner as you had last night, but no need to be so glum."

Jigen stayed silent.

"Anything happen circa 7 years ago?"

The gunman shrugged, but again remained quiet.

"If you're going to tell me you finally got a hot chick in your bed and you did nothing, then I may have to end this friendship right now."

"Just…just shut up!"

"Whoa whoa! So touchy!"

The two sat back in their seats as they felt the plane begin to move. Lupin looked over a few seats up the aisle at Jess strapping her seatbelt on and saying something to Goemon. She squirmed a bit to get comfortable and attempted to get into a position to sleep. Although a few months had gone by, it was still odd seeing her alive. Her presence, though, had struck his best friend in such a way that made Lupin a bit afraid of what she may decide to do and the repercussions thereafter at the completion of the job. He hoped that what he had planned after this last leg would settle any unknowns.

"Jigen."

"Hm?"

"Keep trying. She's good for you, man."

"Hmm."


	14. Broken Melancholy

Broken Melancholy

A bright Saturday in early May had the city of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city in Brazil, brimming with color, smiles, and laughter. It was near perfect out with the sun high in sky, cradled and uncrowded by a shocking light blue. It shined down on strolling pedestrians, giving a special spot light to the city's massive gallery which was especially busy as news of the disappearances of the Sir Francis Drake keys due to the infamous Lupin III spread. While many reveled and enjoyed the bustling of the curious crowd, there was one man who looked on with a scowl.

"I don't like this. Lupin could be right in front of me and we don't have the man power to do anything about it."

Inspector Zenigata, after following the thief around to each key location, knew this was his last chance to set a trap. Still confused why the famous mastermind would choose objects considerably worthless, Zenigata was sure Lupin was up to something else big and he had to catch him before it happened. At the moment, though, all he could do was look on with the museum director who would continuously change his expressions from joy at having so many visitors to horror at knowing one of his items was going to be stolen.

"Inspector," the museum director said, ringing his hands, "are you sure Lupin will even come? Maybe this crowd will scare him away…"

"Scare him away! This is Lupin the Third! He'll see this as a challenge. If anything, he'll use it to his advantage." Zenigata began to grind his teeth. The very idea of Lupin maybe being in the room irked him more than he could handle. "I'm going down to the floor to look for suspicious activity."

"But Inspector! How will you even know it's him? Isn't he a master of disguise?"

"I'll know; I can smell a rat from a mile away."

Zenigata walked down from his second floor post and gruffly pushed through the crowd to be near the key. There were so many people smiling and pointing with wonder at the gawked at object. All around he could hear whispers of "Lupin this" and "Lupin that" so that it began to make his blood boil. By the time he had reached the key all he wanted was a moment to think what Lupin could be doing with these items. But, still he continued to hear "I hear Lupin will take it tomorrow…" "Oh, I heard it'll be next week!" He couldn't take it anymore.

"Why do you all care so much!" Zenigata screamed with every vein in his forehead throbbing. "You all are no better than that weasel – like onlookers at a car accident!" For a moment, the entire room was quiet and stared at the fire-engine red man. Zenigata became acutely aware of his outburst. "I…I'm sorry…" But before he could rectify the crowd silently scoffed and turned away to another room.

"It's not like those people are my friends," Zenigata thought to himself. "Plus, its best that there are less people in here – Lupin could be anywhere. He could be behind that painting or that statue or that…" His train of thought was stopped though by a tug on his sleeve.

"Excuse me sir, do you work here?"

Zenigata looked down to lovely woman in a form-fitting sundress who stared intently right back at him. She looked like she had just descended from the soft lights that lit the room and not the hot sun outside. Her light brown eyes looked straight in to his own and seemed so perfectly framed by the dark brunette waves of her hair that he blushed when he realized he had been staring.

"Uh…wait, work here? No I do not! Do I look like some security guard!" He pulled in sleeve away in a huff.

"Oh, I'm sorry," the woman looked down as though embarrassed, "I was just wondering if you could tell me why so many people are here looking at the key."

"Ahhh, don't look so sad; I didn't mean to yell." Zenigata had felt bad at his first outburst at the crowd, but this recent one seemed to make him feel worse. "It's just that this key is the subject of Lupin III desire." He added the last part with a tinge of anger.

"Lupin III? I have heard of him."

"So has everyone…" he mumbled

"What a very bad man to steal such a lovely thing!"

"That's right! You must be a clever girl, and so pretty…" he stopped due to his sudden revealment, but realized it went unnoticed as the girl stepped away from him and slowly strolled around the room. It was then he noticed she had a cane and was walking with a limp. "Excuse me for asking, but how did you hurt your leg?"

"Occupational hazard," she replied over her shoulder, still strolling slowly throughout the room. "Now, I have a question for you – are you going to make sure Lupin III doesn't get the key?"

"Yes, I plan to put him in jail where he belongs!"

"But how? Hasn't he always succeeded?"

Zenigata eyed her suspiciously. Could she be working with Lupin? For a moment he hesitated, but decided it impossible. Lupin only worked with a very select few and she was not a familiar face in the case, though he almost wished it were. He even considered it being Fujiko disguised, but the femme fatale would have dawned something more revealing and certainly wouldn't have a cane. There was something so distant and melancholy about her expression. Just meeting her, though, it didn't feel right to ask.

"He'll have a special surprise if he decides to show," he answered.

"I see." The woman twirled around and walked straight up to the Inspector until she was less than a foot away. "I'd hate to see such a pretty thing stolen." She touched his coat as though outlining the seams in the stitching. "Be sure to protect it well." With a lasting glance, she pivoted back around and slowly sauntered away out of the room.

"Uh, hey when this is all over, would you uh like to get coffee or uh…"

The woman looked back around, smiled gently, but just continued her slow walk out. There was something to her that still made him suspicious, but his suspicion wasn't the only reason he kept watching her walk away.

If Zenigata had followed the mysterious girl, he would have seen her leave the museum immediately after her interaction in the key room. For a few blocks, she kept her slow walk (with a little assistance from her cane) until she reached a bench by a small park. In the shade, she heaved a little sigh and looked around to see if anyone was in her vicinity. The coast was clear.

"Did you get all of that, Lupin?" The woman asked pushing a little device in her ear.

"Got all of it, Jess. We also received all the pictures you took while walking around the room."

"I'm glad; I hadn't expected Zenigata to clear out the room like that."

"Yea, he has a knack for that – but you seemed to handle it well. I didn't appreciate your little comment about me being a bad man, though. Surely you don't think of me that way, my limping beauty?"

"I had to sound somewhat convincing. But, I think I'll stick with medicine and stay away from acting."

"Oh, so that _wasn't_ acting with all that flirting? Do you like the older, much older men?" Jess could hear snickering on the other end. "Some people have a thing for the geriatric, I suppose."

"Well, _he_ liked my sundress. None of you said anything about it when I left today. By the way, are you picking up his signal on the transmitter I put on his coat?"

"Yes, it's flashing bright and strong. And, believe me, we _all_ noticed that sundress."

"I'm glad. Hey, when is Jigen coming to pick me up? It's getting a bit hot out here."

"Oh, he's still here," Lupin answered nonchalantly, "Did you want a ride?"

"What! Of course I did! The house is 15 miles away from the museum. I can't walk that with this leg! Wait a second." Jess paused and looked across the street to a familiar man in black waving at her. "You should stop lying, Lupin, it doesn't suit you," she finally added with a laugh. "I'll see you at the house."

Jess walked over to the waiting man leaning against the car and removed the transmitter from her ear.

"How'd it go?" Jigen asked.

"Splendidly; were you waiting long?"

"Just got here – do you need help getting in to the car?"

Jess eyed him, then her cane, but kept walking around to the passenger side. "I can manage just fine." Jigen shrugged.

At the house, Jess came back to find the rest of the gang grouped in the living room discussing their plan for the night. She moved off to the side and eased herself in to chair. Her leg was bothering her more than she cared to let on – she decided it was all the walking – but it felt so nice to get out and be useful.

"From the pictures Jess took in the room I'm pretty sure the entire room will have its own special alarm system and guards posted thanks to Zenigata. While I can figure out the system, I'm sure, the rotation of guards is something I'll need monitored," Lupin said as Jess and Jigen entered.

"So we will be taking shifts watching the men posted."

"That's right, Goemon, who wants the first shift?"

"Oh Lupin, you won't make me go out to just sit there for hours will you?" Fujiko pleaded with a little pout.

"Of course not my dear, dear Fuji-cakes." There was a general consensus of a roll of the eyes and groan of displeasure. "Oh come on guys, I'm not going to put Jess out there either! I'm a gentleman." Lupin said the last part with a flick of the wrist and a boast of pride.

"Well, that's because Jess is practically out of commission," Jigen said.

"It's true," Goemon added, "she actually has a reason to stay away from long term sentry duty."

"I know, I've seen the gash, I'm surprised she was even able to hobble through the exhibit," Lupin admitted.

"You know I'm sitting right here…" Jess mumbled.

"Look, we're just saying…" Jigen interjected, but it was too late. Jess got up, waved her hand to say 'no more' and slowly moved to her room, though she wished she could have moved faster. She quietly shut the door.

"Way to go, guys," Fujiko whispered.

"She's just angry because we didn't say anything about her dress," Lupin griped.

"If you three believe that, than you are more stupid than I thought." Fujiko got up and went to her room.

The three men sat very still and with wide eyes stared at each other.

"Um, what just happened?" Jigen asked.

"Either some secret female thing or they're PMSing at the same time. Either way, Jigen do you want the first shift tonight?"

"Sure."

Unfortunately, what the group thought would take a couple of days of observing turned into week of drudgery as the guard positions were constantly being changed. Lupin knew Zenigata was behind it, but he also knew the Inspector couldn't help but show some type of pattern after a while (and Lupin had all the time for it to appear.) It was the three men who took the post every night and while the two ladies had quickly gotten over their odd outburst, they were still quite aloof. This, of course, made Lupin extremely sad as Fujiko would have none of his advances.

Another member of the exiled trio found himself out of the loop as well. After they had left Japan, Jess had stayed distant and reverted back to her melancholy state she picked up from Scotland. Jigen didn't know what she wanted or why she only paid him the same amount of attention as she did the others. It may have bothered him more that he found himself caring so much if she did or not.

On the 4th night of watch duty, Jigen got off his post around 3AM. When he came back in to the house, he quietly let the door shut and sauntered down the hallway. The first door on the left, that's where Jess was. He found himself stalling in front of it.

"This may not be a good idea," he thought. "There could be a reason she is avoiding me. She may just not like me and finally came to that conclusion." That thought stabbed him a bit too much, though. He thought about that moment just a few days ago when she held onto him so dearly. Jigen reached for the doorknob and turned it. Locked – it must be a sign. He began to walk away.

"Jigen?"

It was such a sleepy, yet sweet sounding voice. Without realizing, Jigen had stayed a bit longer than he had intended at the door after rattling it, which had given the light sleeper of an occupant time to see what it was. He was only a few steps away from the door, but he stopped dead in his footsteps, shoulders tensed as though he had been caught doing something wrong.

"Jigen, is everything OK?"

"Uh, no, I'm just tired and tried to open the wrong door."

"Oh," Jess sounded disappointed, "OK, well, then good night." She closed the door slowly and could be heard climbing back in to her bed. Jigen walked to his room with a sigh.

On his third night on duty, Jigen (as well as the other two men) was extremely glad it was going to be his last. As much as they enjoyed waiting out hours on a distant rooftop with binoculars, it got to be quite boring. While it had been pleasant weather, the mess it had done to his sleeping was a bit too much. It _did _give him a lot of time to think, though. Whether that was a good thing was another story.

Jigen eyed his watch and saw that it read 2:30 AM – another 30 minutes. He held the binoculars up for what seemed like the umpteenth time when he noticed movement through the windows. It was just the janitor again – he put the binoculars down and let out a bored sigh. Not even the blinking light that was Zenigata on his transmitter gave him something to watch. It just stayed still and bleeped in the same annoying rhythm.

"I guess even the old man has to sleep," Jigen thought. "Although, that should be what I'm doing instead of this redundant stake-out." Lupin, having figured out the guard schedule two days ago still had the other two men go on their third shifts to be sure he was right. Goemon and Jigen figured it was because he wanted them out of the house for his own personal female endeavors. "What did Jess call it? That's right, being sex-iled." Jess…

He winced – Jigen had promised not to think about what happened a few nights ago creep on him when he was working. But, this couldn't really be called work, he decided. By the time it was 3 AM, he was almost ready to sprint back.

"I could just let it slide," Jigen thought on his way back, "it's what I've always done. It's a lot easier to just pretend these things didn't happen. She's already hinted she may not stay with us after this job is all said and done, so why even try?" His reasoning wasn't working very well. The entire time his mind tried to remind him what he _should_ be doing, the rest of his body was working through the same reaction he had when he first saw her in that bar - stomach was bottoming out and his heart wouldn't stop pounding. Jigen found himself in front of Jess' door again.

"OK," he thought with a long calming sigh, "I need to have a plan this time. If I turn this doorknob and its locked I will immediately walk away – no thinking, just walk away. But, if it's open then I go in and finally talk to her."

Jigen fully expected the door to be locked – why wouldn't it be? She was still distant, she was still in her own world, and tended to only reply if necessary. He turned the doorknob – it opened.

He was surprised and now fully wished he had a plan beyond just standing in the doorway. His pulse began to quicken and he thought about walking right back out due to the embarrassment of being completely out of his element. But, as his eyes found Jess, Jigen found his feet full of cement.

Like soft rolling hills against the trace amount of moonlight that entered the room, her body was easy to distinguish underneath the simple soft, fuzzy blankets. He followed the silhouette of her curves from her feet to her head with widened eyes. She lay on her side, facing away from him. For a moment, he was afraid he woke her up like a few nights ago, but from the slow raising and lowering of her shoulders, he was sure she was still asleep. He took a step forward.

Her shoulders tensed. Jigen stopped immediately and felt his heart pounding harder and harder. All at once, the body under the covers rolled upward in one smooth and gentle movement. For a moment, she continued to face away from him. Jigen still didn't move and felt a strange panic race through his body. Why did he have to do this? Why now? Jess turned her head over her shoulder.

Without realizing it, Jigen had outstretched his hand as a means of both calming her for what she might do and wishing to touch her at the same. Jess stared at him, not saying a word. It was one of the most intense glares he had ever received. In fact, the only one more nerve wracking was one he received 7 years ago from the same girl. Her eyes didn't narrow or widen, but instead threw all her emotions into a single ray of vision. She breathed slowly and finally allowed the rest of her body to follow her gaze so that she fully faced her visitor.

"I…" Jigen had to say something – the stare was becoming too much. But, she quickly silenced him when she brought her index finger to her lips. What was he to do now? He couldn't move, he couldn't say anything, and was trapped in a scary vortex of a stare.

In quieting him, though, one of the straps of her nightgown slipped down her shoulder. Jess watched Jigen's eyes as it fell; he definitely noticed it. She raised an eyebrow – Jess pulled it down further, slowly, and began to smile a puckered teasing smile. Jigen regained control of his feet and closed the door behind him. She kept watching him and with a gentle movement allowed the other strap to fall. Jigen quickly pinched himself to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep during guard duty and was dreaming. No, he was definitely awake and she was definitely pulling the covers back. The gunman loosened his tie and sauntered forward.


	15. My Friends

My Friends

There is a moment in waking up that one never seems to realize where they are. For that split second, there is a slight panic at what happened the night before when the eyes open and don't recognize the surroundings. After his last night of guard duty, Jigen found himself flat on his back looking up at the ceiling and unsure as to where he was. But, when his brain finally caught up to his physical body all the events of the previous night finally rushed back.

He began to smile, but only slightly as he realized he couldn't feel the girl that had also participated near him. What they did definitely wasn't a dream and his lack of clothes lent even more evidence. Jigen slowly rolled his head to the right to find the bare back of the woman he was searching for. His smile finally spread fully. The fair skin of her shoulders peaked above the blankets, though he felt an urge to pull the quilt over them. He couldn't tell if it was because she looked cold or he didn't want her exposed. He wasn't worried about her far distance; he remembered she sometimes did that when she would get too hot. Jigen's smile grew even more.

Propping himself up on his elbow, head in hand; he leaned over Jess waiting for her to wake up. For a few minutes, she continued to sleep soundly but as her body became aware of being watched, the gunman noticed her eyebrows furrow a bit as though disagreeing with having to be awake. Finally, her eyes opened, blinking slowly. She initially seemed so sad to have to have been taken from whatever she was dreaming, but as she turned to her left to see who was watching, her features softened into a faint smile.

"Good morning," Jess whispered.

"Hey," Jigen replied just as quietly.

"Do you enjoy creepily watching girls as they sleep?"

"Just you."

"Good." Jess rolled over to face him and curled close to his body. "When are you all leaving tonight?"

"Around 11 PM." He put his free arm around her waist to draw her even closer. "Are you planning on waiting up for us? Do we have a curfew?"

"You're lucky I'm tired and can't retaliate against your sarcastic jokes."

Jess was starting to fall asleep again. With his hand on her back, Jigen could feel her breathing slow and get deeper and deeper. She brought up her hands in tight fists close to her chest and curled her body to get as much warmth off his body as possible. He wasn't going to wake her again.

Slowly maneuvering his way out of bed without her realizing, Jigen got up to dress and get ready for the job, putting a pillow in his place for Jess to hold onto instead. At every small moment, either between putting socks on or making up his tie, he would look over to her – though she had not moved from where he left her. He secretly wished to see that exact sight when he came back that night. If he got his wish or not would be another story, he sighed, as her hot/cold treatment still had him weary.

Later that night, near the midnight hour, four thieves bid farewell through the windows of a small black car to a very jealous doctor standing in the doorway. The entire day had been filled with the final preparations, which included fancy stitch work on some fake uniforms. The time had gone on rather slowly, but as day turned into night, excitement turned into calm collection and focus. More than anything Jess wanted to go, but even she realized she might be a hindrance in her slow condition. Jess looked to the sky above those venturing out - the night was bright and clear, not very good conditions for people in the business of theft. She touched the glass as though it would allow her to be just a bit closer, only to gradually close the blinds when their car lights vanished over the hill into the darkness.

"It's good to see Jess doesn't need to use a cane anymore," Goemon remarked from the passenger seat.

Fujiko nodded in agreement, but there was no reaction from the other two men in the back seat. She looked up into the rearview mirror to see Jigen looking out the window, smirking for seemingly no reason, though he had been doing so for the entirety of the day, while Lupin stared intently at him. Goemon, not happy at being ignored, tried again.

"Are you sure you two don't need for either Fujiko or I to come in with you?"

Still no response. Lupin continued his staring game until Jigen, finally becoming aware of his audience, turned towards his friend.

"Why do you keep friggin' staring at me? You've been doing it all day," he said, annoyed.

"There's something different about you." Lupin pointed directly in Jigen's face. "You're smiling. Earlier you were whistling"

"You're crazy…" Jigen turned back towards the window and folded his arms.

"I think Lupin is right – freely smiling is not normal," Goemon added, "you have diverted from your standard operating procedures."

"What does that even mean?" Jigen grumbled.

Everyone was silent for a moment, Fujiko stayed out of the conflict for the sheer reason she found their arguments entertaining. She continued to watch the two in the back through the review mirror – Lupin still staring fixedly in the gunman's direction. Then, with all the sudden insight of an epiphany, the master thief's eyes grew large as he expressed a rapid gasp.

"I figured it out! I FIGURED IT OUT!"

The outburst made everyone else in the car jump. Lupin sat back and smiled with a drunken swagger at his deductive abilities. The other three in the car waited for his proclamation, which was readily given.

"I don't know why I couldn't see it before. You sly dog. You finally…"

Jigen jumped from his seat and grabbed Lupin by the front of his shirt. "Don't you dare finish that sentence!"

But it was too late; the other two up front had figured it out as well. Goemon slowly sunk in his seat at actually having brief impure thoughts, blushing brightly, while Fujiko let out the longest groan of disgust.

"Ah, it was inevitable. My work here is done," Lupin beamed triumphantly.

"Your work?" Jigen let go of his friend's shirt. "You didn't do anything."

"That's true; you're the one who sealed the deal."

"OK, seriously you two need to stop," Fujiko finally interjected. "Jess is the only other woman I actually like to be around and its gross to hear you two talk about her…uhg what was _she_ thinking anyways? She could do so much better."

"Obviously she was thinking she wanted to ride the Jigen express…" Lupin replied smugly.

"I'm seriously going to vomit…"

Lupin yielded for the rest of the car ride, though gave Jigen many winks and nudges, which weren't received gratefully. By the time they arrived at their destination, though, all thoughts were turned towards extracting the last key – finally ending the scavenger hunt. Dressed in janitorial clothing, Lupin and Jigen waved the other two on and proceeded to the back entrance.

Deciding that attempting a guard's identity would be too risky due to the odd nature of the shifts, the two men took on the next best thing – janitors. Always noticing that the cleaning crew continuously swept through the key's room, they agreed it was the best chance – especially since the janitors who were supposed to show up that night were currently being taken care of by Goemon. The duo only lingered around the back door for a few minutes until the car they arrived in pulled up again to hand over the newly procured staff keys.

"Did the real janitors go down quietly?"

"Yes; here are their keys – good luck," Goemon replied.

"Will do – see you two in an hour."

Lupin and Jigen entered smoothly through the back door and made their way around the museum in the same pattern the janitors took. The stakeouts had been quite beneficiary as the two men, without realizing, had memorized at what moments the cleaners would cross their view when they had initially been watching the guards. To check their disguise, they pushed two vacuums past the guards at the key's door and gave a tip of the hat to each posted man. With a nod in return, they felt secure in their plans.

Keeping the noise of the vacuum high, the two men got to work slowly slicing the glass covering the key.

"How are we looking," Lupin whispered as he focused on his cutting.

"Good, but hurry it up, Zenigata might come in at any moment." Jigen was busy blocking the camera in the room with a duster, while looking over his shoulder to the opening to the room.

"Yea yea, this will all be worth it when I tell everyone what I have planned after this."

"What do you mean, the treasure?"

"That too, but actually I decided…" Lupin's decision was cut from being told when an overwhelming rumble began to shake the museum until all at once, in a torrent of raised police sticks and swat shields, near 100 men swarmed into the small room to surround the two thieves.

"Damn," they murmured in unison.

Massive bright lights immediately sprang up behind the policemen, forcing the duo to hold their hands to cover their eyes. The beacons were accompanied by a familiar mocking voice.

"LUPIN! I finally caught you with your hand in the cookie jar HAHA!"

"Pops, you're sounding crazier and crazier as the years go on."

"Maybe…but!..."

"That'll be enough, Inspector."

Another voice entered the scene, but it wasn't one that the thieves were knowledgeable of. It was in fact the nervous director of the museum, who shoved the ecstatic detective out of his moment of glory, all the while adding his own heavily armored men to the fray.

"What is the meaning of this Mr. Director, I am with INTERPOL, and this is my case!"

"That may be true, but as this museum is private property and these are my private guards, I believe it is time for me to make a world-wide name for this institute by being the one to finally catch the famous Lupin III. Thank you for your help."

"What! You double crossing little snake in the grass! You're no better than Lu…"

As the two men bickered, Lupin and Jigen quickly drew their guns and took out the bright lights, plunging the room into immediate darkness. But a speedy escape was not to be had when the director yelped a "Fire!" to his mini fortified army.

Back at the house, Jess found herself dealing with the odd combination of boredom and nervousness. While she tried to watch TV for a bit just to let her mind turn off, she realized that it's rather hard to do so when you don't understand the language coming through the screen. For a second, she secretly wished she could speak Portuguese. Letting out a long, drawn out sigh, she finally resorted to walking around the house, slowly letting her hand trace along the random objects in her path as though browsing a boutique.

"I wish they would get back soon," Jess thought to herself. Barefoot, she walked the line of the cold hardwood down the hall. She reached her bedroom door and arched her neck inside. Curious, she flicked off the lights and let her eyes adjust to the darkness. Jess wanted to see what Jigen saw last night – she smiled faintly, though it fell quickly to a concerned frown.

Without realizing it, she was touching her bed and staring at the simple white stitching on the blanket.

"I can't keep doing this to me – to him." Jess glanced at the clock – 2 AM. What was taking them?

With all lights out, Jess went back to the living room and flopped down in a large plush chair. While it consumed her body, she let her mind wonder back through the past few months. She had wished Will hadn't said what he told her in secret. He just had to remind her – just how miserable she had been with the syndicate before. How they used her, how they made her feel emotionless, and how many times she had cried. And, even though deep down she knew better, he constantly berated her that her current comrades would just be the same.

In her mind, Jess replayed her time in Scotland and the very loud argument she was afraid the others would overhear.

"You left _them_; you told me you didn't want to be with them anymore!" Will would shout.

"I know," Jess could see herself avoiding Will's eye contact like a child being lectured.

"You asked for my help and now you go back to them! That's ludicrous; how do you think it makes you look?" Jess winced as she kept recalling his words. "Not only that, but you leave them and go to something even worse. I can forgive you for that, that whole syndicate thing; I know you were desperate to pay your way through med school, but for heaven sakes! To go back to where it all began! These are the same people whose name you linked yourself to, who made you unable to go back to America!" Hot tears began to stream down Jess' face, making loud drip noises as they splotted the chair. "And don't think I know how this all began – just because you see THAT guy again…"

Jess snapped out of her self-pitying stupor of the past. Loud clicking noises were coming toward her at an alarming rate from outside. What in the world could it be? Her mind raced as to what she should do if the approacher were to mean her harm. Jess stood up quickly, wiping the tear stains from her cheek.

"Jess? Jess! Open the door now!" It was Fujiko's voice. The clicking had been her heals, Jess realized. There was no relief expelling from her body, though, as Fujiko's voice sounded frantic. Jess swung the door open. "Something…something terrible has happened!"

Fujiko was completely out of breath. She leaned with one hand clutching tightly to the doorframe as though it was the only thing able to support her. Each breath was labored and she stumbled to look up.

"What's wrong?" The words just tumbled out of Jess' mouth as her eyes widened.

"The guys…they…YOU MUST HELP THEM!"

"Where are they?" Fujiko weakly pointed towards the car Jess just now noticed parked horribly in the driveway.

"Goemon has them; they were too heavy for me!" Her words were more sobs then sounds by this point.

"What do you mean? I don't understand, what happened?"

Jess' skin was tingling as the lack of men and increase in alarm grew. She pushed Fujiko aside and tried to run towards the car, though her right leg refused to cooperate, leaving her wincing. Jess only got halfway to the her destination, though, when Goemon kicked a back door open and emerged with Lupin over his shoulder and propping Jigen like a ventriloquist doll with his other arm.

"Oh no…" Jess whispered to herself. In a moment, she felt as if all the life in her spilled out through her toes, leaving a motionless husk. Her friends were hurt. "My friends…" she repeated out loud. Realization rushed over her like a tidal wave. These were her friends. They cared for her and now they looked to her for help. "Me…"

"Jess?" Fujiko said weakly, still clinging to the doorway, but able to stand up now.

The vixen could see Jess begin to tremble from head to toe until all of a sudden, Jess turned her head around and with a piercing glare commanded: "Turn on all the lights in the kitchen and living room and get towels, hot water, and my black bag from my room now!" Fujiko couldn't move; the force at which Jess had said her declaration was terrifying – making her unknowingly cower a bit. "I said NOW!" Fujiko scampered inside to seek out the asked for items.

The doctor then turned back towards the samurai who, though breathing a bit hard from holding up two full grown men, was able to raise an eyebrow at the powerful outburst that minorly took down the usually resilient Fujiko.

"Bring them inside." Jess motioned towards the front door and hobbled as quickly as she could inside. Goemon watched her make a huge sweeping motion over the dining room table, taking off all of the papers that lay scattered on it. She then proceeded towards the couch, quickly throwing off all pillows onto a chair.

Jess then ran up to the two men, still dangling off of Goemon. First she ran up to Lupin, whose head lay limp over the samurai's back. Bending down, she opened his closed eyes to check the pupils quickly – he was completely out. She then looked up to notice blood stains running down the master thief's arm and leg.

"Put Lupin on the kitchen table." Goemon complied and with Jess' help, gently released the weight off his shoulders.

Jess then moved in front of Jigen whose hand suddenly came to life and grabbed his side. He let out a terrible groan, stifled by clenched teeth.

"Jigen? Hey Jigen, it's me Jess – look at me." Jess grabbed the sides of his face with both hands and made him stare directly into her eyes. "Let me see your side." Jigen nodded and lifted his hand slightly. Jess quickly peered in – his wound wasn't gushing like Lupin's. She moved back up to Jigen's face. "Lupin is my priority right now, but I'm going to knock you out so you aren't in pain, OK?" Jigen nodded again. Jess now looked to Goemon. "Help him get his jacket and shirt off so I can inject him, I'm going to start on Lupin."

Jess moved back to where she had left Lupin and began to undress him quickly – leaving only his underwear on for modesty's sake. She then took in a deep breath, stood up straight and looked around for Fujiko who at the same moment ran out of the hallway with all that had been entrusted to her to look for.

"Lay all the towels on him to keep him warm – I'm going to wash my hands." Before heading to the sink, Jess stopped by Jigen, filled a 12 gauge syringe expertly and bent down. "I'm going to put you to sleep now," she whispered in his ear.

"Just make sure Lupin is fine," Jigen said with a grimace.

"I promise," she replied solemnly and stuck the needle into his arm.

For the next few hours, after aseptically cleaning the area as well she could, Jess then dedicated herself to fixing the two thieves. Just as she had mentioned, Lupin was the first to be treated, as his wounds had her immediately worried. Though she had as many lights as she could turn on above her patient, she made Goemon stand behind her with a flashlight as she worked while Fujiko acted as nurse. With further probing, Jess found that the master thief had taken two bullets – one in the shoulder and another as a hard glancing blow on his calf.

Fujiko and Goemon mostly looked on as the hours passed by painfully slow. All around them the world seemed dark and unimportant with all focus being put on the spot light that rained down from the few lights allowed on. With both Zenigata's and the Museum Director's men looking for them, it would normally be wise to turn off all lights, but working in the dark was impossible.

After two and a half hours, Jess arched her back backwards to stretch the sore muscles that had cramped in a bent over state. She let out a long sigh, and finally uttered the first words to be said in a few hours.

"Lupin is stable. Take him to his room – Fujiko watch over him." Jess was so curt, but as she wiped her forehead with her forearm, the other two were just grateful for saving their dear friend. Jess then looked over to Jigen and sighed out of a new worry and workload.

Shuffling her feet into motion towards the couch where she left Jigen, Jess bent down to look at his wound. It was a grazing; no bullet was inside from what she could see.

"Thank goodness," she whispered.

Her work on the gunman was significantly shorter, but intricate nonetheless as the grazing had mildly fractured one of his ribs. That would explain the pain he was emitting due to the massive amount of nerves in the area, she thought. By the time she had precisely stitched the wound shut, the amount of time that had passed since they came storming home was 3 1/2 hours.

Jess looked at the clock and wondered how it could possibly almost be 6 AM. Propping herself with straightened arms against the table, she motioned over to Goemon who still stood silently behind her.

"He's fine. Put him in my room – the bed is bigger." Jess was still extremely stern, and Goemon complied with a nod. For a moment, she watched the samurai, with tired eyes, walk down the hall. As soon as he was out of sight she turned off all lights in a slow, mundane fashion and stood in the darkness for a while. Letting her head go limp, she felt like a zombie. But with a sudden surge of energy and passion she flung off her gloves – feeling steaming tears trying to escape.

Her body felt so hot. Every bit of her tingled and ached, all while unrelenting in its need for rest. She fell back into the same chair she had been in when she heard them come back. Turning towards the window, Jess let the tears fall freely into a current. She felt out of breath and wanted to both run and scream at the same time. Goemon came back at some point during her inner tantrum – she covered her red eyes with a hand as though to look tired.

"You have done a great service to which we can never completely repay you. We are deeply…"

"I did my job," Jess replied somberly.

"You would not be in the state you are if it were only that."

Jess looked up austerely, though her eyes were still sad. She hadn't thought of the fact that he had been there with her during the entire ordeal and of course was the one who had to find the other two men in the condition they were rendered. For a moment, she considered if she had ever mistrusted the man standing in front of her, and with a resounding inner 'no,' was finally able to realize that among these people, her friends, was where she may find the general happiness she had been seeking. There was only one simple thing to ask.

"Goemon, would you consider me a friend?"

Goemon reached out his hand to her. "You must sleep – you look completely exhausted. And, to answer your question – of course."

"Thank you for insinuating that I look like crap," she replied with a smile, "but I intend to stay awake until their drugs wear off." Though Goemon's hand was still extended, Jess stood up on her own and instead embraced the samurai in a quick and gentle way. And, though walking away slowly couldn't help but giggle to herself at how such an outward affection left him a bit paralyzed with embarrassment.

Quieting a bit before entering her first destination, Jess took in a deep breath. Luckily, she looked down and noticed she was still wearing a blood stained apron – she quickly flung that onto a nearby chair. With a light knock, Jess then turned the knob and opened the door to find Fujiko seated right next to the bed Lupin occupied. She looked all serene and worried at once, leaving only a very low powered lamp on next to the bed, probably to be sure she would instantly realize when he would wake up. It was a very sweet sight that would never happen in a normal situation, making Jess wish to quietly back away, but was caught from doing so when Fujiko turned her head to notice Jess' presence.

"How is he doing?" Jess asked immediately, closing the door behind her.

"He's breathing very soundly, that's good right?" Fujiko looked up with pleading, teary eyes. It was almost heart-wrenching to see her normal coldness be so gentle. Jess sighed, she was one to talk.

"Yes that is very good." She moved close to the sleeping man and checked the bandaging and listened to his heart quickly. Jess then nodded again to Fujiko to indicate all was as it should be.

"I was just so scared…" Fujiko said as though to explain her terrified nature when they came home.

"Its fine – you were just worried about the ones you care for. Though, if I'm correct, I believe one of them you more than just care for." Fujiko looked up again, but too tired to reply in a smart fashion, just looked back down at Lupin. Folding her arms, Jess continued: "You love him, don't you? But you have never…"

"In this business," Fujiko replied softly, "a woman will get stepped on if she were to reveal a soft and precious emotion as love. If one spends years and years gaining a reputation and power, it can all quickly be taken away. We are already at a disadvantage as it is – being the weaker sex – though that can be used to our advantage if played up correctly. If you stay in this job, you will realize this – love makes you weak. That is why people use me against Lupin, because he openly expresses it. But, he is a man that can do something about it." Fujiko took a breath and looked back to Jess, who was a bit stunned at the revelation. "You are one to speak, though. That man in the other room – he adores you. With my own feelings on the subject aside, I do think he deserves _some_ happiness, as well as yourself."

"Wouldn't that make me weak – admitting it?"

"All I'm saying that it is painfully obvious how he feels, though he thinks he hides it well. Just…throw him a bone…" Jess raised an eyebrow. "Oh god, not in that sense."

"Well, I'm confident in Lupin's recovery, so I'll leave him with you." Jess unfolded her arms and turned to leave. "Plus, I have my other patient to check on." Closing the door behind her, Jess then heard a man's voice in the previous room.

"Fujiko, did I hear right? You love me? Oh my sweet sweet Fuji-cakes, I have been waiting for this day…"

"Lupin you were awake that entire time!"

"Yes my dear, and I'm so glad to hear OWWWW"

"Serves you right; don't forget you were shot twice – you can't be moving around too much. Plus, the drugs have obviously made you delusional if you think I said anything concerning love."

Jess laughed to herself. "They will never change."

With Lupin's awakening, though, Jess realized the other man under drug-induced sleep would be awake soon. She was nervous. No, she should calm herself for a bit while he was out but…she decided to wait for him in the room he slept.

Jess had given him a pretty hefty dose of narcotic as she wasn't sure how long she would take on Lupin. This is why she was quite anxious – it was unknown when he would exactly wake up. Jess opened the door to her room and peeped in slowly. One light was left on, on the small desk in the corner. But, even from the dim light she could see Jigen was still asleep – that and he was snoring slightly.

The house had finally quieted in a collective sigh of relief. With both men out of danger and no signs of policemen knocking around the house, the anxiety that had plagued them a few hours ago began to drift away. One member of the group, though, was still unaware of everyone's safety and when Jigen woke up his mind felt rushed with a sudden apprehension of gunshots and bleeding.

For the second time in one day, the gunman found himself flat on his back in another's bed. His eyes flew open, but he was uneasy as to what situation he would find himself in. Though he remembered coming home, he had no idea if they had been tracked down and transporter somewhere else. Jigen lay still for a moment and tried to let his eyes find any source of movement in the room.

Immediately, his gaze swayed downward towards the soft light in the room. There were slight shadows moving in that corner of the room – someone was there. Jigen looked to his right quickly; his gun rested on the nightstand as though he left it there himself. He was obviously in a safe environment. That or whoever was in the room with him was an idiot. Jigen pushed himself up slightly, though a massive acute pain shot up through his ribs. Who he saw, though, was surprising enough to make him forget the sting.

Sitting bent over the small wooden desk, he saw Jess writing slowly on some kind of fancy letterhead. Her eyes were relaxed, though her body looked exhausted. But, in that mild light she looked more lovely and more welcomed of a sight than he could recall. Feeling herself being watched, though, Jess turned her head gradually in his direction. Her eyes found his immediately and began to widen and dance.

"How do you feel?" Jess brought her chair towards the head of the bed. She put her hand on his chest to gently push him down again. "Relax," she whispered.

"Wait, how is Lupin?"

"He is fine," she continued in a soft, soothing voice. "In fact he's quite awake and back to bothering Fujiko."

Jigen let out a sigh of relief and complied with the soft hand that pushed him down. She was staring at him in such a gentle way that it set all other fears aside. Her hand still lingered on his chest, he was sure she could feel his heart galloping.

"You are both very lucky," Jess said, "I was extremely worried when I first saw you." She hesitated. "Both of you."

She stopped again and Jigen could see why. Her eyes that had looked so tender before were now beginning to well up with large tears, Jess turned away. He couldn't recall seeing her in such a state before, though it softened him a bit to know she could be affected so much. She covered her face and let out a soft sob.

"Hey, hey, you said it yourself, we're both fine." Jigen reached out a hand to her scrunched up shoulders. She was refusing to turn back around. "Jess…"

"You can't see me cry."

"What? Why?"

"I…I'm not weak." She sniffled a little, but seemed to quickly regain her composure. Sitting up straight, eyes still a bit red, Jess turned around and looked back down on her patient. "Today was a long day," she added with a weak smile. Jigen reciprocated the endearment.

"So tell me," he said casually, "how did I end up in your room again?"

"You seemed to be quite comfortable in it the night before, so I assumed you'd be the most secure here."

"Yea, except I didn't exactly see it ending up in this way."

Jess continued to look on so sweetly that it had Jigen worried. Because though her expression was that of serenity, her eyes reflected apprehension. She wasn't telling him something.

"Jigen…"

Oh no, he thought. Her tone was that of a doctor telling its patient they have a month to live. His mind raced – she may have finally made up her mind…and not in his favor. He should have just said something, he should have just been up front and not tip toe around her.

"Jigen, when I first saw you five months ago, sitting in that bar just as though seven years hadn't gone by, I nearly ran out. At first I thought God was playing a cruel trick on me, but when I found myself sitting there longer and longer I thought maybe it was a sign to just try and make contact. I half didn't know what I was doing and for the longest time I thought I had made a mistake. Will reinstated that idea in me when he decided to remind me why I had left and that going back would be the biggest error of my life. I trusted him a great deal, but I couldn't go back on my agreement to help you all. Desperately, I tried to keep to myself, but I couldn't help but talk to you. I…I wanted to make you laugh. We always used to laugh about everything and I missed that so much. All of sudden you and I felt like you and I again, but I couldn't get the nagging feeling of Will's judgment out of my mind.

Jess paused for a moment, looking out towards the window as though it would tell her the right things to say. With a soft sigh, she turned back and continued.

"You see, I have always wanted a home. I know I can't go back to America, and I have accepted that, but I want a place to live. Somewhere that says 'this is where you belong, Jessica!' but through all my moving around and poor choices of involvements, I haven't been able to find it. This is where I had a dilemma – while I love the taste of the thieving lifestyle, I can't do it all the time. I need some grounding, some roots of safety and…home."

Her eyes began to well up again, but this time she didn't turn away.

"Tonight…tonight, when I saw you and Lupin come back in the state you were, I thought my heart would drop out of my chest. Every inch of me ached from terror and then it struck me – I was scared because I cared so much you all. Why it took the sight of you two bleeding and unconscious, I have no idea, but I know now what my heart wants. I'm not going to waver anymore and my intentions are true. Jigen – I love you."

Jess stopped as though the statement surprised even herself. With the soft illumination behind her, her already light skin and dark eyes seemed augmented and exemplified. Jigen's mouth was agape as the words that had just poured from her lips were completely unexpected. He never thought he would ever hear that expression in his direction, and to hear it from the one person that it would actually mean anything from, had him struck silent. Finally, finding his voice he tried to respond.

"Jess…Jessica I lo…" But she had leaned in for a kiss before he could fully form his words.

After a week of nursing by the three healthy individuals of the group, Jess finally decided to allow the two men out of bed. While Jigen was fully functional, minus a little point pain, Lupin was still in bandages and limping around. He found himself on the end of many jokes about having to use Jess' cane as he had found it necessary to make fun of her previously.

During the night time hours of that first day of freedom, Lupin lounged on the couch with his injured leg propped up on a pillow on the coffee table. Fujiko leaned up close to him, still feeling the effects of seeing him hurt. Lupin knew that emotion would wear off, so he took advantage of it as much as possible.

A bit agitated at having a lack of mobility, he quickly clicked through channels on the TV, finding nothing that would satiate his attention.

"How can you even see what's on, you go too fast," Fujiko remarked.

"It's a man thing, my dear. Although, I rather not have to find my entertainment indoors on such a beautiful night as this."

"Neither would I," Jigen replied, walking out of the hallway. He leaned against the doorframe, smirking at the sight of his laid-up friend.

"Why do you look so smug?"

"No reason; I suppose I'm just glad_ I_ can move around."

"Yea well…wait a second." Lupin sniffed the air. "Are you wearing cologne?"

"Maybe."

"You're wearing your nice jacket too! What are you up to, and why can't I go along as well?"

"Because you got shot," Jess replied coming out from the hallway behind Jigen. She was wearing the quintessential little black dress and was pinning in a final earring as she walked up.

"What? What does that have to do with anything? Jigen was shot as well…"

"Yes, but he got shot only once while you did twice. That means you must stay in twice as long."

"You heard her, man," Jigen added, "doctor's orders."

"Completely unfair!" Lupin folded his arms in an exaggerated fashion; though in doing so he stretched his injured shoulder far enough to produce a loud yelp. While he winced and wriggled in childish pain, Jigen and Jess began to walk towards the door.

"Where are you two going?" Goemon asked, eyeing the pair.

"On a date!" Lupin finally said as Fujiko tried to calm him down from hurting himself again

"A date!" Jigen remarked in surprise, though smiling, "certainly not!"

"We're just going for a night walk," Jess added.

"Exactly, a night walk for about three hours, but don't wait up."

The duo locked arms and laughed as they waved good-bye in their exit from the house.

"Well," Lupin said leaning back on the couch again, "about freaking time."


	16. What's So Amusing in Italy?

"Is it better

What's So Amusing in Italy?

"Is it better?"

"Oh for heaven's sakes, let me look at it first."

Jess sat next to Lupin, unwrapping his bandages on his shoulder to check to see if the wound had completely closed. She had told him he wasn't to move or have any fun (though that last part was just to tease) while it was doing the bulk of its healing. Jess uncoiled very slowly, though she didn't have to, but she had an audience of three over her shoulders and wanted to make it suspenseful.

"Gross; there's still blood on it!" Fujiko exclaimed.

"This is probably one of worst hits you've taken, Lupin" Goemon added.

Jess waved her hand over her head. "Shoo shoo!"

"Hey man," Jigen said reaching his hand over Jess' shoulder and heading towards the stitches. "Does this hurt?"

"Don't even think about it!"

Jess cleaned all the dried blood quickly and examined the tissue and stitches that had her previously concerned. However, with a triumphant smile, she sat back and called him well enough to do normal activities – well, normal for Lupin.

"But just one thing…" she cautioned. But, Lupin had already stood up in victory, quickly stretching his arms to the sky until he yelped in pain. "…its tender so don't go crazy." The others laughed heartily. Lupin then turned around in his chair to face his spectators.

"Well, now that I have the doctor's blessing, I finally want to tell you what I had planned for after this heist."

"Yes, you had mentioned something about this earlier."

"Right you are, my samurai friend."

"I don't get it," Fujiko interjected, "Aren't we just going to Nicaragua or whatever to finally get the treasure?"

"OK about that…I don't know exactly where it is. I need some time to figure it out."

"What!" was the collective response of the room.

"Yea…" the mastermind looked off to the corner of the room and scratched the back of his head. "I actually thought it would take us a bit longer to get the keys, but with Jess handing over the first one right away and getting two others together in Japan…it happened really quickly."

"So what does this mean?" Fujiko asked impatiently.

"It means…vacation time!" Lupin made his response with such a huge smile and exaggerated hand motions, but he was met with blank stares and unbelieving blinking eyes. The others looked around as though it were a joke.

"I don't get it." Jigen replied flatly.

"It's a vacation! Do what you want! Don't you people want to go relax?"

"Uh sure, but that's usually _after_ the job is complete…not at the part when we actually go get the treasure."

"Just go relax for a bit while I figure it out, OK!?"

"But…treasure…"

"Yes. OK" Jess finally said. The rest of the thieves looked at her complacent posture and assurance in answer. Lupin was relieved _someone_ was fine with it. "How long do we have?"

"How does two weeks sound?"

"Good."

Jigen, Goemon, and Fujiko all stood with their hands in the air as the other two agreed to the plan. But, one by one, they shook their heads and accepted the fact that "vacation" is what they would be doing for the next fortnight.

To possibly help shorten the time span, each person agreed to take some literature with them to read over in hopes of revealing where the treasure would be. While vacation was definitely needed, they felt that at this time it was a halt to their strong forward progress. However, with two of the men still a bit sore from their last altercation, it may in fact be a good idea. Just in case there was a sudden realization of enlightenment, each person discussed where they would be so as to be reached.

"I plan to go to a very special place near the Virgin Islands," Lupin said looking off into a dream, "but only if my dear Fujiko will share it with me?"

Fujiko shrugged her shoulders. "I have nothing better to do."

Lupin feigned a hurt slouch. "No no, you're supposed to say something like 'of course Lupin my love; anything for you!'"

"Yea…no. What about you, Jess?"

"I have a very important person to see," the doctor replied suppressing a smile. "I need to get back to Germany to get ready I suppose." She slouched a bit in her chair, though she seemed secretly excited.

"Oh really?" Fujiko leaned in close to Jess. "Between us girls, who is it? Is it that Will guy? I could understand that – have to keep your options open."

"I'm heading to Europe as well," Jigen added with irritation, "want me to get tickets for the same flight?"

Jess looked over her shoulder and smiled broadly. "Yes!" The enthusiasm she had been stifling before spilled out a little. She composed herself a bit – "It'd be nice to have company."

Lupin cut in. "Well, while these two make out the entire plane ride, where are you headed Goemon?"

"There is a festival being held for the 400th anniversary of the town I grew up in. The temple is bringing out the goddess of the…"

"Awesome…" Goemon glared at having been cut off. "Well, I'll see you all in two weeks. Remember: I'll send you all directions as to where to meet up a few days before departing."

The five comrades bid farewell the next day as they boarded their flights to their respective continents. It was a bit of a sad goodbye on the girls' part, though neither of them showed it. Each hadn't had a female friend they could actually enjoy the company of for a long time. Jess had her lack of trust of them and Fujiko didn't like competition. But, in each other they found at least a fox-hole buddy against the guys when the time called for it. They shook hands just like the men, but gave each other a wink to say "good luck."

On the plane, Jess took the seat next to the window as she was aware Jigen may prefer the space of the aisle. She also wanted a place to look just in case she betrayed how immensely excited she was to have a vacation.

"Jigen," Jess turned from the window towards her companion. "You never told me where you plan on heading."

"Italy." He began to grin.

"What's in Italy that is so amusing?"

"Oooh…spaghetti, Catholics, Chef Boyardee."

"You're full of lies. Does that mean we are flying into Italy? When's my connecting flight?" Jess looked down concerned and then back up again laughing. "I should have asked this before we left!"

"Well, then you'll just have to find out when we land."

"Fair enough."

The two were quiet for a moment and she reflected on the past two weeks. Only once had she thought if she made a good decision in saying how she felt, but it was probably because she was used to being sour. He was everything she had missed and it made her shiver to think where she was just a year ago. Jess was knocked out of her reminiscing when asked a question by her companion.

"You were quick to jump on Lupin's vacation offer."

"That is because it was just what I wanted."

"And why is that?"

"There's someone very important I need to see."

Jigen was intrigued, but Jess was posing her answers in such a way as though wanting to be asked who. Maybe he didn't want to know the answer, but he played into her game.

"Who?"

"My best friend Kim." Jess began to get visibly excited – a large broad smile and legs bouncing slightly. "Do you remember me writing a letter when you woke up from anesthesia?"

"No."

"Well…you were supposed to say yes."

"Did that answer just rain on your parade?"

"A little."

"Then yes, I do remember."

Jess glared a little with a 'you're a jerk sometimes' smirk, but wasn't able to suppress her laughter for long. "Well, I was writing to her and I intend to see her again. In fact, I haven't seen her in _over_ 7 years."

"You say that like the amount of time means her value is greater than mine."

"Oh, it is." She stuck her nose in the air in a fake air of superiority.

He laughed. "So friggin' full of yourself sometimes." Jigen looked at his watch and saw it would be another 4 hours in the sky until they reached Italy. There had been a reason to his taking over the ticket situation – Jess may be a little pissed with him but it'd be worth it. His other hand caught his attention as he looked over to see Jess holding it.

When the planes touched down for the group in their respective places, a mixed bag of feelings towards a holiday was felt. Goemon felt it was most likely fate that he was to be able to make his town's celebration, Lupin was giddy for some bikini time with Fujiko, while Fujiko herself was feeling mostly bored and a little peeved with stopping the treasure trek. Jess was all excitement and was too wound up to notice Jigen's nervousness at what he was about to say.

"OK, point me in the way of my connecting flight," Jess said, picking up her belongings. She looked around excitedly with a broad smile on her face.

"Well…"

"Oh, and you have to come visit me."

"About that…I…"

"But give me a week with Kim alone because we need to extreme catch up."

"Hey…"

"I just can't believe I can finally see her, it'll be the highlight of my year!"

"JESS!"

Jess looked startled and concerned at having been cut off from her cutting off. "What?"

"There isn't a connecting flight." He said it, finally, with a sigh of relief.

"Is it cancelled or did you just forget?" She didn't seem very angry, but may have been a bit disturbed at having the wind knocked out her sails. Jigen stepped lightly around this situation.

"Neither; we're going somewhere."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Her eyes were looking more worried now. "I have to get back to Germany."

"Yea, if all goes as planned you won't be – it's a surprise, get it?"

"Surprise? You better be hoping this doesn't turn into sur-rage."

"What the hell is that?"

"Being surprised and then immediately enraged."

"You made that up; just because you've read more books than me doesn't mean I'm going to fall for that."

"I tried," she exclaimed with a shrug. Her indifference quickly changed into fear again at having realized her plans had changed unexpectantly. "Jigen, honestly, what is going on? I haven't seen Kim in forever and if I'm unable to see her I'll cry a thousand tears and blame it on you…and then cry some more. That's right, in the middle of this airport everyone will see that you made me cry."

"Oh please, you are not going to do that. You don't like crying in front of other people, remember?"

"You're a gambling man, you want to call this bluff or not?"

Jess was beginning to glare and he was quite sure that she would embarrass the crap out of him at this moment if he did not rectify. Jigen knew what would amuse her.

"How about this, if you don't like the surprise, you can punch me in the face."

Jess perked up and gave a half unbelieving sideways look at him. "Really?"

"Yes, you sadist." She was smiling now.

"This means this 'surprise' is either very good, or you like to be slapped around."

"Maybe it's a little of both."

Jess began laughing. "How did this conversation go from excitement to fake crying to kinky within 10 minutes?"

With successful completion of a good mood, Jigen blind-folded a confused but accepting Jess and took her for a very long car ride. Conversation mostly hovered around Jess guessing what it was, attempting to think of something that was good enough to be blinded.

"Um, ninjas?" She turned her head in the general direction Jigen was sitting, even though she couldn't see him. Every now and then she'd hear a stifled laugh from him; he was having too much fun with this.

"No; I hate those bastards anyways. They're like masked Goemons with smoke bombs.

"Well, I've gone over everything it could be except…is it a unicorn?"

"Haha now you're just being ridiculous."

"Then," Jess threw her hands in the air, but hit the ceiling of the car, "ow, I give up."

"That's good because we're here."

Jess could feel the car jerk forward and then finally come to a halt. She had been trying to figure out which way they had gone, but after a near two hour long ride, it was hard determining where at all they could be. She knew they had gone up a mountain at some point, but that really meant nothing as she had only been in Italy once before and it was years ago. Plus, with her guessing she had distracted herself long enough to not realize how much time had gone by. Suddenly, a whoosh of a car door opened next to her and she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Can I take this off," Jess said as she began to pull down the blindfold.

"Not yet."

Jigen pulled her out slowly as she found her footing. Jess could feel the warmth of the day on her face, with a slight salty smell – she had to be near a beach. No, maybe not the beach. The grass she could feel around her sandals indicated this was not directly at the ocean. The grass was short…a lawn? A small breeze blew from the right and some bird let off a high pitch warble to her left.

"Where are we? It feels lovely."

"It's good you think so."

"What do you mean?" Jess felt herself being steadied from walking any further. Then, in a flash of bright sunlight, the blindfold was gone and she blinked with anticipation for the sight of what had been so secret.

Before her, hit with the warm late afternoon just right, was an early 20th century two story villa, complete with green shudders and a dark red door. Large vines seemed to sprout from each edge of the house, clinging to worn stones, giving it a look of loneliness as it was obvious it hadn't been lived in for years. Small patches of garden had been attempted around the sides of the house as well as near the area she stood. It was beautiful, but forgotten.

The wind was blowing harder now, and Jess could feel her hair whipping in her face. It made her aware she had been staring without a word. The wind, where was it coming from? She turned around slowly and looking beyond Jigen saw that off the edge of the cliff was the sea.

Jess wished her eyes were larger so she could take more in, but what she did finally notice was that Jigen had been silent the entire time and now waited for her reaction with arms crossed nervously.

"It's beautiful, but I don't understand why you brought me here."

"You told me you wanted a place to call your home." He nodded towards the house. Jess' mouth gaped. "I'm not joking, so don't look at me like that."

"I…what?" Jess felt herself tinged with a strange numbness all over. She looked back at the house. She no longer noticed the wind. "A home." Walking slowly towards the door, she barely heard the explanation behind her.

"A few years ago I played in a poker game with Lupin in order to make some bigwig investor fork over a certain jewel we were after. Oddly, the jewel meant more to him than this property and he put up the deed instead. I just happened to have won that round and Lupin said I could keep it. I've had no idea what to do with it, but I think everything works in there and that there's maybe some furniture? Well, it's just when you said you wanted a place you could call a home, I just thought of this place. It's really…uh…pretty, so I figured you'd like it."

By this point Jess had reached the door and was touching it lightly with a couple fingers. She couldn't believe that he had remembered that – something so important to her and he actually remembered. Jess turned around – her eyes grew wide.

"Really?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes."

For a moment there was silence until all at once Jess let loose a string of electrifying screams of joy.

"Oh my god, oh my god, o my god!" she yelled, jumping up and down and then all at once towards the surprised man who watched the spectacle. Jigen braced himself for the impact as Jess threw her arms around his neck and spun in circles, carrying him with her. She was saying something that wasn't really a full sentence or coherent as she kept pausing to cry and kiss his cheek rapid-fire. But, after a few minutes of her ecstasy overtaking her, Jess calmed down and looked up at the now laughing gunman.

"If I had known you would have reacted that way, I would have given you a friggin' house back in Germany."

Jess sighed with a giggle. "I didn't scare you? I don't think you've seen something like that before."

"Not from you – it's almost nice to know you have the capability of showing happiness."

"Pot calling the kettle black."

"I'm just saying," he replied with a smirk. "Plus, I think you might have blown open one of my stitches with your joyous attack." Jess lightly moved her hand to the spot he mentioned with a worried look to see if it was true – Jigen just laughed. "Don't worry about it, you can fix it up later…in your new home haha."

"Yes, we can play doctor later," Jess added with a wink.

Jess took his hand and began to walk towards – Jigen balked a little and let go.

"I…want you to know it's perfectly fine if you want this to be all yours." He looked off to the side. "I understand if you want to be alone."

Jess looked at the house for a moment and then with a kind smile replied: "This house is quite large for just me. I might get lonely and cry a thousand tears."

"I think we had this conversation earlier."

"Exactly – it would certainly just be easier if someone lived with me. Yes," she added tapping a finger to her lips and looking to the sky in decision, "I definitely want someone to be with me. A handsome guy with gun skills would be great…beards are always a plus." Jess held her hand out again and smiled broadly. Jigen took it and shook his head with laughter.

"You could have just said you wanted me to stay."

"I could," she replied slyly, "but where's the fun in that? Anyways, don't I have doctoring to do?" Jess used her devilish grin.

"I always up for any doctoring you have to offer."


	17. Elvis Has Left the Building

"Oh no, what are these

Elvis Has Left the Building

"Oh no, what are these?"

Jigen could hear Jess begin a series of giggles burst into a loud laugh. He had been cutting open a box that had just come from her house in Germany and now felt that whatever was happening in the kitchen was much more interesting.

"What's going on in here?"

Jess held up a dish she found in the cupboard, still covering her mouth from laughing so much. Jigen could now see why she had found it so funny. Being one of many, Jess displayed a carnival-esque version of an Elvis collectable plate. Each plate, they would find out, being a different stage in The King's life. The fact that it was the standard plates used in the elegant house by whoever lived there before was not enough; no, it was the horrible sayings on the bottom of each plate and color scheme that kept the tears rolling down the doctor's face.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing. They are obviously classics."

"Stunning." Jigen replied, picking one up. "Did you know…" he continued reading the plate, "you ain't nothin' but a hound dog?"

"I'm not sure how I feel about that statement. Now, there isn't one about being in the dog house…but we have this! 'Jail House Rock!'" She gave a big smile and a thumbs up before she chucked the plate back onto the pile. "We need to dispose of these before Kim gets here."

"When is she coming again?"

"Your ability to ask me the same question over the past three days is amazing."

"You keep those comments up and you'll lose…" Jigen searched through the pile of plates and pulled out one near the bottom, held it up and read "my 'hunk of burning love?'" He shook his head at what he just said.

"Hahaha fine fine – she comes tomorrow morning. So we need to finish putting my stuff away and head to town to grab food. In fact, let's go to town now – let me change."

Jigen waited at the bottom of the stairs and looked around at the few boxes that remained of Jess' belongings. She had opted to get rid of the furniture in Germany and only have essentials flown down. This of course was only decided upon after she made sure the furniture already in the house was nice – it easily won against her IKEA products.

For three days they had straightened the house out with more goofing around than actual work. In this place, so far from other people Jess was finally becoming comfortable enough to smile and laugh more than look off into space listlessly. Jigen liked to think he was successfully keeping her mind off of whatever kept bothering her - he was proud and feeling light-hearted for the first time in a few months.

"Ready," Jess announced and skipped down the stairs in flowing whirl. She landed right next to him and looked up with wide animated eyes.

"What has you all excited?"

"I don't know. It's beautiful out and I look fantastic in this dress." Jess twirled and struck a demur pose with a laugh which quickly faded into a soft smile. For a moment, she was quiet and moved close enough to place a hand on his cheek. "I like it here a lot. Thank you."

"Hey now…" Jigen began to blush but he didn't move back. "I told you it was just lying around collecting dust…and you said you needed a place to stay…"

"You are terrible at taking compliments." Jess stepped back and put her sunglasses on. "Oh, do you want me to just go to town on my own? I know you don't want to miss out on doing research for the treasure." Between the two of them, they had maybe read 10 pages in 3 days.

"Let's see, get dragged around and having to listen to which side dish should go with what…or pretend to read and take a nap?"

"This means I'll see you in a bit. If I get killed in a random car accident I blame you."

"Not funny," he mumbled.

Jess _was_ able to move about much quicker without the boredom of her companion hanging over her. Plus, she wanted to soak in the town by herself since it would be that way the majority of the time. Alone time wasn't new to her, and rather reveled in the glory of the day. Around the 11:00 AM hour, it was mostly stay at home moms making their way through the bargains of each shop while attempting to quell their children as well. Jess smiled at the amusing stories that unfolded with seeing them, but thanked her lucky stars she was free of child care duty.

Within an hour, Jess had picked up everything she'd needed and decided to take a quick stop on a bench by the center park of the plaza. With a sigh she put her bags down, crossed her legs and tilted her face up to the warm Mediterranean sun. Her life felt more complete and happy than it had in many years: her best friend was coming to see her, she finally had a home, and the man she loved was the one who helped put it all together. Jess giggled – the excitement and danger was rather entertaining as well.

"Hellooooooo"

Jess started up at having realized she was being watched. Her sunglasses luckily hid the surprise in her eyes. But, what she thought was just one person asking to see if she was OK was actually three young men standing in matching muscle shirts, striking horribly masculine poses.

"Um, yes? May I help you?"

"Ah, my beautiful basking fairy: I told you all, she is American." The leader, it seemed, was now kneeling at her feet. "Please accepting our sorry in making you go fright." His English was amazing, Jess smirked to herself.

"OK – I'm not a fairy. But, how did you know I was American?"

"The way you sitting, with the ah, look of owning area."

"OK?"

"Please letting me explain. Me and my brothers here, we saw you beautiful creature all way at bakery and knew you were being wife material."

"Wife material! Haha Oh dear Lord, sadly I am quite taken." Jess suppressed every urge to laugh directly in their faces.

"Impossible! If you being one of our women we being with you always. That way we keeping you safe."

Jess was both highly confused and amused at the same time. She sat up straight now, not realizing her hand was being held by the leader still on the ground at her feet. As if on cue, the other brothers stuck another pose – this one more angsty model.

"Please, I must be going home. My man is waiting for me…" or asleep, she conceded in her head.

"He being demanding? You should be in treatment of better. Better being us: the Lucini Brothers! I bet your man is mean too, demanding is always being mean too. We not be mean."

"I'm sure you won't. Maybe some other time. Me and my American self have to go 'look of owning area' back home." Jess got up and pushed her dress down as she wasn't sure of the pervy factor of three brothers who roamed the town looking for ladies in the middle of the day. "I'm sure you all have jobs to get to?" she asked suspiciously, but with a smile.

"No jobs, we are being rich."

"Oh, and what does your family do?" Jess didn't know why just asked for further knowledge when she was so close to escaping. Maybe she was a sucker for the pleading eyes that followed her when she got up.

"I am sorry, my fairy," the leader said. He got up slowly as if to accentuate his pain in my departure. His brothers simultaneously put their hands to their face in a weeping stance. "But we promise our brother Luciano we not tell."

"Luciano Lucini?" Jess nearly spat out the name. She wondered if his parents wanted him to sound like the most stereotypical Italian ever. "Well, whatever floats your boat…"

"Yes we have boat! We being to show you, yes?" He was way too excited with my misunderstanding of words.

"Yes…unfortunately I am _being_ going." Jess walked away then, making sure to not look over her shoulder for a good 100 feet to be positive the three guys didn't see it has an offer to talk to her some more. By the time she did look back, she noticed they had moved onto another woman who was trying to peacefully sit in the park. "I'm not sure if I should be offended or relieved…"

Jigen did make an attempt to read up more on the Raleigh treasure, but he made it about a paragraph in before boredom took over.

"It's amazing," he thought to himself, "normally I can push myself through any task but here…" he yawned and took a long stretch "I'm just so damn comfortable." Jigen leaned back on the bed with hands behind his head to settle in for a nap. He didn't know how long Jess would be as her fancy could stretch from full out shopping to literally just picking up a few items. With a tilt of his hat forward and leaving his magnum on the side table, Jigen closed his eyes for what seemed just a few moment before he heard a door close.

Keeping his eyes closed, he could hear that it was definitely Jess – the singing to herself was a good clue. He could hear her put the groceries on the table, then putting each item away in the cupboards. There was a pause in the commotion. Jigen wondered if she had suddenly seen something outside, but that was put to rest when he heard soft humming coming up the stairs. Her footsteps were lighter now – she had taken off her shoes.

Jess was probably off to clean the guest room again, Jigen decided. Her humming had stopped and he assumed it was because she had walked by the room he was in and was being quiet. He strained his ears – for a moment nothing. Where was she?

"Good afternoon you lazy bum," came a soft voice right above him. Jigen opened his eyes just in time to feel his hat be taken off and a kiss in the same spot to replace it. Jess was leaning over him, propping herself over him on one arm with her legs curled next to him on the other side.

"Did you get what you needed?" he yawned.

"Mission complete."

"Are you all set for tomorrow then?"

"Yes, very much so."

"Did you know I can see down your dress from this angle?"

"That's why I'm sitting like this," she replied with a smirk.

"Come here," he replied, yanking her forward.

That evening the two strolled out to the lawn to eat leftovers and enjoy the sunset. Jess insisted on bringing out all of the Elvis plates and that they must be used tonight for eating.

"Isn't it sacrilegious to eat off of the King's face?" Jigen asked, staring at a scene of Elvis swiveling his hips.

"It depends on if he is your religion or not."

"I'm usually not one for the whole praying thing, but I guess he's entertaining."

"We're a little too transfixed by Elvis today."

"Oh?" Jigen said looking up from his plate. "What should we be transfixed on?"

"Well for one: _you_ should always be focused on this" she replied waving her hands in front of herself. "After this is done successfully…"

"I think I took care of that this afternoon," he cut in. His smile was infectious and Jess took her time to try and respond without grinning, but it was unsuccessful.

"Well, yes you did. But, it should always be a full time job."

"Best job ever. Actually, Lupin always insists that bikini inspector would be the best, but this is a close second." Jigen tapped his finger to his lip in mock reflection.

"I'm glad you quote 'bikini inspector' like it's a real job."

"People don't think 'thief' is a job either. Obviously that has been proven wrong."

"Yes, but 'thief' is sexy to me. Not bikini inspector." With that one I picture more perv than I do hot and mysterious." Jess imagined that the Lucini brothers would be first on the list for the job.

"You think I'm hot and mysterious?" Jigen perked up at this revelation.

"Not if you're all for the inspection of bikinis."

The two sat close and looked over the small cliff to the sea below and the sun it was swallowing. Hues of orange and red began to break and it made the entire world around them feel warm. Jess let her head fall on Jigen's shoulder.

"Jess, how long can we go on pretending we are in a fairy tale?"

"Don't say it. Not now." The word _fairy_ more so ruined the moment more so than his statement when she thought about her earlier encounter.

"I'm serious."

"I'm sorry. I can't be serious right now." Jess stood up and took one of the plates she had brought out. In a slow manner, she walked some 20 paces out in front of him so that her feet were right on the edge. As if summoning the sun to shine on her, Jess raised the plate above her head and turned back around towards Jigen. "Do you have your gun?"

Jigen pulled his gun out of his back pocket and held it up for her to see. He looked at her quizzically and decided he needed to sit up for whatever she had planned.

"What are going to…"

"Tell me when."

"What do you mean 'when'…?" But upon hearing the word, Jess flung the plate like a Frisbee far above her head towards the ocean and as if by instinct Jigen pulled the trigger and shot it in mid flight. Jess looked back over her shoulder with wide excited eyes and a broad smile.

"That was amazing." She held up another plate above her head but before she could throw it, Jigen shot that one too. "Damn it. That could have…!"

"Are you underestimating my skills?" He was teasing her with a sneer.

"No, I'm underestimating your common sense – what if a shard had gotten in my eye?"

Jigen shrugged. "Maybe you'd look good with an eye patch."

"Keep it up and see if…" Jess quickly flung another plate up in the air, which was shot just as cleanly as the first. "Well. That really is rather impressive. If I didn't know you better, I'd be questioning what kind of man you are for having to know such skills."

"I'm bad company." He said it more serious than Jess would like.

"You say that like I'm good company." He was quiet again. Jess refused to have Jigen use his pessimism on himself. "I'm easily just as bad, I just cover it up with a false pretence. At least you accept your badassness." She made sure she kept eye contact until he sighed bemused. Satisfied, Jess picked up another plate. "Now tell me to 'pull' and enjoy the shooting, my figure, and this evening."

With everything cleaned and ugly plates disposed of, the two went off to bed at an early hour. Kim would be arriving early, at Jess' request, but what Jess hadn't accounted for was her inability to stave off the nervousness. For an hour, she tossed back and forth, trying immensely hard to be as quiet as possible. By the midnight mark, though, Jess became fed up and sat, slouched over her knees. She felt a hand on her back.

"Can't sleep?"

Jess shook her head slowly.

"Nervous or excited?"

"I think I'm mostly nervous," she mumbled. Jess turned around to see that Jigen had sat up as well. He was watching her closely. His eyes were so piercing when his hat wasn't in the way. "I really don't know why. I just can't…" but she trailed off before she could finish her thought and paused into silence.

"I think you are wrong," Jigen mumbled.

"Wrong?" Jess said the word as though it were nearly impossible.

"You are excited."

"You are very sure about this."

"That because when you're nervous you…" He stopped as though he rethought his insight. Jess smiled at his attention to her apparent random details. She wanted him to continue and forgot her Kim situation tomorrow for a moment.

"I what?" Jess leaned in towards his face with a childish grin.

"You…" he murmured quietly, "you hold close to me." Jess' grin softened and she listened closely. "You are absentminded when you do it, but you just move closer to me when you don't know the outcome to something. You…you did it in Japan and Brazil and…" Jigen was stopped by a kiss on the cheek from Jess.

"Thank you. Maybe I can sleep now." Jess laid down and pulled Jigen with her slowly. She hid her face behind his shoulder so that he could only see her eyes. They were relaxed and with a small twinkling of relief. For a moment she closed her eyes and squeezed tight on his arm, but released just as quickly. They were both out within five minutes.

_In the morning_

"Do you see her?" Jess was jumping up and down and obviously unhappy with her stature at the moment. Her question was strained and she didn't even look to Jigen who held her hand. For as much jumping the doctor did, the only part affected on Jigen by the movement was slight wrist twisting. He looked down at Jess, smiled, and the looked out into the crowd himself.

"Nope."

The two waited outside the gate coming in from Washington DC. Though they didn't have much sleep under their belts, it didn't stop Jess from summoning all the energy left for Kim scanning.

The airport wasn't very crowded when they had arrived, giving Jess a false sense of security. But, when three flights came in at the same time, the normally calmed brunette found herself rather frantic

Jess continued to jump up and down in agitation. "Wait. You don't even know what she looks like."

"Seems that was a detail you should have gone over with me as I'm apparently the eyes of this operation, shortie."

Jess stopped her hopping and looked to the side to think of a way to find her best friend. It took her only a moment as she quickly glanced up and let out a soft: "ee!"

Jigen was taken by surprised by the strange noise. "Um…what the hell was that?"

"It's our Marco Polo…it's how we found each other. EE!" She continued to look out into the sea of faces, concerned.

"I don't know how I feel about associating with you at the moment…" Jigen mildly wanted to step back, but her concentration and the fact he had stood by Lupin during much stupider things kept him still. That's when he realized, the girl holding his hand wasn't the only one making the 'ee' sound.

"Kim! EE!" Jess began to drag Jigen forward, pushing herself with minimal 'sorry's' through people.

"_EE_!

Jigen looked incredulous. They really were nuts. But, he kept following. He did remind himself: Jess had warned how odd Kim and her were together.

"Kim?"

"_Jess_? _Jess!_"

Just ten yards away, near a newspaper kiosk, stood a girl just a bit shorter than Jess with long brown hair and desperately searching eyes. She stood next to a tall blond man who looked over the crowd just as anxiously…or he was more concerned with stopping his partner's anxiety. Jigen noticed that the tall man's arm was around the girl's waist: at least dating, he assessed. The gunman then turned to Jess, whispering in her ear to look towards the kiosk. Jess responded immediately, let go of Jigen's hand and sprinted with no regard for the onlookers' nerves straight at the girl.

The two girls embraced and shook each other back and forth, sobbing some unintelligible cries of joy. The tall man with Kim looked relieved at this and took a camera out to take pictures of it. Jigen hoped the man had been asked to do so by Kim. He then looked up at Jigen and held a hand out.

"Hello!" he cried excitedly. "My name is Gabe! You must be the boyfriend of Kim's apparent true love." He looked down again at Kim and Jess.

"She loves me more than you!" Jess cried.

They were at least saying real words now.

"Yea, hey man. My name is Jigen." The two shook hands and waited a bit for the two girls to separate. They showed no signs of it after a few minutes, so Jigen finally touched Jess' shoulder to remark: "shall we head home so you two can catch up?"

Kim's eyes went quickly from happiness to hatred in a matter of seconds. It was so shocking that Jigen instinctively took a step back. She let go of Jess and stood right in front of the gunman, continuing her glare. Her body tensed, with her small fists clenching. Jack looked at her concerned again and tried to reach out.

"Uh…hey there, Kim."

"You." Kim pointed directly in Jigen's face. Her features were hard and full of some kind of strong hatred. "You are the one who let Jess fake DIE!" With the last word came the action: her open palmed hand to Jigen's face.


	18. My True Soul Mate Part I

There are moments in life when it seems someone hit the slow motion key on the remote

My True Soul Mate Part I

There are moments in life when it seems someone hit the slow motion key on the remote. But, no matter how slow everything is occurring, you yourself can't seem to react fast enough. Body stuck in honey, being held down to that gravitational force that keeps us from flying off the earth, we can only look on.

The onlookers found themselves in this situation as they experienced Kim, in all her acute burst of rage, slap Jigen. Gabriel, in instant concern grabbed Kim in a large embrace and pulled her towards him. While initially it seemed he was preventing her from further violence, Gabriel's features sharpened to reveal distrust. His eyes narrowed quickly towards the recipient of the anger.

Jess, too, felt her body move before her mind completely registered what had happened. Putting herself directly in front of Kim, both shielding her and hiding her, Jess placed her hands on Jigen's face. Jess' eyes scanned back and forth across his face in hope. A small burst of relief ran through her body; his expression was mostly shock.

"She just hit me," he mumbled looking through Jess to the small girl being restrained from a second attack.

"Hey," Jess whispered. "Look at me."

"Who friggin' does that?"

"Just look at me," she replied softer.

Jigen's eyes refocused to directly in front of him. He could see the partial horror in Jess' expression – her brown eyes wide and searching. Certainly she wasn't afraid Kim was going to actually cause him pain. Jigen buckled; Jess was worried that _he_ would do something Kim. Before he could say anything, though, Jess had turned towards Kim.

Gabriel's body was still tensed and glaring with great suspicion. Jigen caught on to this and felt himself consciously become rigid as well. There was something that this man was exuding that didn't make him comfortable.

"Kim, what was that for!" Jess finally said in exasperation.

"He let you fake die!" she cried.

"I'm obviously _actually_ alive."

Kim seemed to sink in closer to the man embracing her, showing a small draining of anger.

"He was supposed to watch over you," she murmured and looked down. "He should have known you put yourself in risky situations on purpose. It's his fault."

"It's my fault." Jess' own voice lowered and she took a step toward her friend. "And he really didn't know that. _I_ was the one who faked the death."

"I don't care!" Kim lashed again and Jess edged backward. "I still don't like him."

"And you don't have to. You're here to see me."

"I know, it's just…Jess you left me and I thought I'd never see you again. You didn't even warn me or tell me you were OK."

"Kimmy." Jess stopped and felt her body heave in exasperation. A cold wave of sadness filled her stomach as she recalled all the nights she had rethought about her decision. All those evenings of staring at her phone and thinking that one call wouldn't hurt her. It killed her thinking that the one person in her life that she could always depend on thought she was no more, that she would forget her and find a new best friend. It was safer that way, sure, but it caused her to be even more introverted than she had been previously.

Jess hung her head and finally began to realize the sounds of the people happily greeting loved ones around her. She wanted to cry to think that this was how her own joyous reunion had started – vengeful and full of hurt – and now she had a possible pissed off man behind her and a heartbroken girl in front of her.

"I'm sorry." Jess said it so quietly that only Kim could hear it and only barely. The doctor couldn't even make eye contact to say it and hoped that it was enough.

"Just…let me fake hate him, OK?" Kim looked at Jess for the answer, though she glanced slightly towards Jigen. Jess looked up at the verbal olive branch her best friend had extended.

"I rather you not, but its fine. You should really hate me."

"No; that is impossible." By this point Gabriel had let go of Kim. He had stood up straight and was continuing to keep his concentration directed towards Jigen. Kim sighed heavily as though his release allowed her to finally drop the pent up rage.

"Because you love me?" Jess asked coyly. She turned her head a bit and smiled.

"Yes."

"That's a little gay."

"I know; now you must never leave me again."

"What if there is cake in another room; may I leave you then?"

"That's a stupid question. If there was cake in another room I'd follow you to it."

Jess tapped her finger to her lip. "True enough."

The two girls smiled sweetly at each other, finally over their need for jumping and hugging. Jess was glad she was able to keep Kim from opening up a can of verbal and apparently physical wrath on the other person in her life she adored. Thinking of him led her to look casually behind her as Kim looked up to Gabriel. The men were still staring at each other.

Jigen had maintained the position of standing relaxed enough so that his body could react quickly to whatever would occur, though he hid his urge to keep his hand on his gun by shoving his hands in his pants' pockets. Gabriel, too, tried to hide his tenseness, though his posture was more upright as he had the advantage of height. He continued to keep his hand on Kim's shoulder.

Jess and Kim looked at each other confused and then back at the men. The air was a little too thick with uncalled for testosterone.

"You two love birds want to get a room?" Jess finally remarked flatly to the men.

Each of the guys jerked a bit at finally being addressed and reminded where they were. Jigen found himself moving towards Jess, showing the same slightly possessive behavior Gabriel had been showing towards Kim, but Gabriel became all smiles.

"Oh dear! I had almost forgotten to take loads of pictures of you two!" His expression was extremely cheerful, causing Kim to automatically relax and shove him playfully.

"Stop that!" she laughed as flashes came from every direction. Jess smiled softly, but wondered if Kim had really seen the looks the two men gave each other.

"I'm sure you two want to get to talking," Gabriel chirped. "Us men folk can go get the bags."

Jigen looked up at the mention of "men folk" and realized he was the only one under that category. He glanced down at Jess who had finally wiped the horrified expression from her face and replaced it with relief. Making sure that Gabriel and Kim were sufficiently acting cutesy enough with each other to not pay attention he leaned down to Jess' ear.

"This Gabe guy…"

"I already know. We'll discuss it tonight."

"You already…?" Jigen stopped and decided that he would have to wait to understand. He had to remember that Jess could easily know more than she'd let on. But, seeing that she showed no concern over her friend's boyfriend, the gunman shrugged it off for now.

The car ride was rather quiet; it was the men's fault. Jigen had asked Jess to sit up front with him and that she could just turn around to speak to Kim as it was a short ride. Gabriel insisted, though, that Jess sit in the back with her friend so that they have the full extent of catching up time. Neither man budged and began to creepily stare at each other again. Kim was luckily situating herself in the car at this time while Jess stood by and watched with exasperation. Jigen obviously did not want Gabriel near him while driving. Jess flipped a mental coin and sat up front. For the brief moments she _did_ turn around to say something about the scenery, Gabriel was all sunshine.

"So, how have you been?" Kim asked casually as she took a seat on the couch.

They had finally returned to the house and after the complimentary 'this house is amazing' the girls resigned themselves to the living room and let the guys carry in everything.

"Good, good, just the normal. Staying alive and all," Jess replied just as calmly. She joined her friend.

"I still can't believe you live here." Kim looked around. Her mouth gaped as she stretched her neck behind her and then returned her gaze to its original location. "It's like right out of some movie. A good one, though. Not some stupid chick flick."

"Pardon me, ladies…" Gabriel raised his hand shyly from the stairs. "I just wanted to ask where to go with these." He lifted up the all the bags he and Kim brought. There were a lot of them and he picked them up as though they were filled with helium.

"Top of the stairs, turn right – all the way at the end."

"Thank you, Miss Abraham!"

"That's Dr. Abraham to you. I haven't properly judged your worth to Kim yet." Jess said it so calmly that it made Gabriel slightly flinch, but he regained his usual smile quickly.

"Oh dear! I'll be on my best behavior." He scrambled quickly upstairs just as Jigen came down. They passed, though giving each other a wide berth. The gunman watched him with confusion.

"What has him moving so quickly?" he asked the girls.

"Jess scared him with her stupid serious sense of humor – the kind where she keeps a straight face and says horrible things." Kim looked right at Jess accusingly. "She doesn't realize people don't know she's joking." Jess turned away unapologetically.

"They'll pick it up eventually."

"Don't worry," Jigen said taking up a chair in the corner. "She's not as intimidating as she thinks she is." He stretched his feet on the ottoman and threw his hands behind his head. Jess glared.

"I hope you can feel my hate from here."

"It's funny, I don't." The two then began to smile broadly. Kim looked on with surprise then looked towards Jigen.

"That is a strange name you have." It was more phrased as a question then just a statement. Jess answered before the person it was addressed to, though.

"It's 'Japanese'" (she in fact did the quotes in the air), "but it's his last name. His first name is Daisuke. He's about as Japanese as I am, however; but, don't ask questions about it."

"Well…conversation blocker." Gabriel came down and joined them. He nearly leapt towards Kim and gave her a kiss on her head. She was immensely excited to see him again and watched with eager eyes as he sat down in another chair across the room. Her bright, animate eyes then came back to Jess and showed that she had questions that couldn't be answered with the men around. Jess understood. She pulled down a blanket off the back of the couch they were on and laid it across their laps to share.

"This reminds me of your house," Jess said quietly. She then began to smile devilishly.

"Like Jerry and A-plus?"

"Yes, and Make a Wish Foundation Soul Calibur?"

"And 'That was their first mistake?'"

"And Ka-Kays? Delicious Ka-Kays…"

"I miss Cindy."

"_I_ miss conversations that make sense," Jigen finally said.

"You two certainly must have a great deal of good memories," Gabriel added with a wide grin.

Jess' head snapped towards the speaker. "Can it – I still haven't decided how I feel about you yet." She then looked at Kim. "Weren't you supposed to marry the Chairman?"

"That's right!" Kim cried with laughter. Gabriel looked confused.

"Can _this _one at least do backflips and tell us the secret ingredient?"

"Not so much..." Kim said with mock sadness.

"Very well!" he said, hands in the air, though still smiling. "I believe I will go outside. You ladies enjoy yourself."

Kim looked at Jigen, then towards Jess again. "What about you? You were definitely fated for Jew. Your last name requires it."

"That's true – they're supposed to be rich and …circumcised?"

"Well, I hope _he's_ at least cut because I told you my horror stories about dealing with _that_." The two girls both made wide, satisfied smiles and slowly turned towards the object of their conversation who had been trying to _not_ listen. He mumbled something about taking a hint and left them alone.

When the two had made sure there were no males within earshot, they hunkered down close. Kim played a little with the edges of the blanket. Jess too was a bit uneasy and stared downward, biting her lower lip. Kim was the first to speak.

"He's kind of scary, Jess."

"I suppose; it mostly has to do with his appearance."

"But, it's not just that – he seems rough and dangerous…however…" Kim hesitated and began to fumble with the blanket even more. "You two…you two are so comfortable with each other. It's like you were always together. He's not mean around you; he watches you when you aren't looking."

"Really? I never noticed that. If he really does, I believe it has to do with my death-faking seven years ago, though."

"That would probably do it. But, he doesn't just watch you anxiously. It's like he gets enjoyment when you are just humming to yourself even. I could see it in the car when you were trying to make the awkwardness go away."

"You felt that too!" Jess felt a wave of relief wash over her to know Kim had picked up on the awkward city that followed the two men.

"Yes! Dear lord, I don't know what's up with those men, but they do _not_ like each other."

"Instead of star-crossed lovers they are star-crossed haters. In fact, they woke up this morning, drank haterade and came to the airport."

"Do know you the reason why?"

"No, do you?" Jess paused here and looked deeply at how Kim would react. Jess knew something about Gabriel that she wasn't sure was to be spoken or not. She may have to go about finding this out another way.

"No…?"

"What does Gabe do?"

"Um," Kim put her finger to her forehead and thought earnestly. "It's something to do with computers and electronics. I don't really get it, but I know he makes a lot of money and travels a lot." Kim was being truthful. That was all Jess needed, she would keep her mouth shut for now.

"There was also something I wanted to ask you…" Jess slyly eyed Kim and then quickly took her left in her own and held it up. "I KNEW IT! A ring!"

"I was going to give you one day until I divorced you from our friendship if you didn't notice it."

"Please tell me!"

"Well, you know how I said I'd probably never get married?"

"Uh yea, me too."

"Yea, that was a lie because this man was obviously made by the gods for me. He's not creepy, he accepts my hidden nerd tendencies, is totally attractive, and always makes me laugh no matter how crappy my day."

"Well, he is a rather cheery guy…"

"I know what you're thinking, but he knows when to be serious. It's almost a breath of fresh air to have someone around that is always looking on the bright side of things."

"The only downside is you don't get hot make-up sex since you'll never fight."

"…Damn it."

Jess spent a moment looking at the diamond on Kim's hand. It was easily 4 or 5 karats and extremely beautiful. It suited her, too, as it wasn't monstrous and just made her petite hand look elegant. She didn't realize she had been staring for a bit too long until Kim finally spoke.

"What about you?"

Jess looked up. "What about me?"

"Will you get married?"

Jess stopped for a moment and tried to take in the gravity of such a simple question. "I…I don't know. It almost seems impossible."

"He loves the hell out of you; that is my ruling." Jess was still speechless on the subject and attempted to think of some sarcastic way to get out of it. Kim was always right on her opinions of the men Jess was involved with and hearing such a thing was almost shocking. Seeing this, Kim ended it for her. "Well, it's just something to consider."

Jigen realized that he could only take so much of the girl's chatter before he wanted to explode. It wasn't so much that it was empty as it was that they seemed to speak their own language, with phrases that didn't even make sense. This is what Jess meant by Kim being her soul mate as there was no way either of them could be tolerated like that by anyone else. He _was_ glad to see her so animated and acting like a real girl, though. Sometimes it had worried him that she had been so desensitized by the underworld that normal female emotions would escape her. His real fear was that she would end up like Fujiko. Jess was a little too friendly with her as it was, plus the fact that Jess was acutely aware of her own physical attractiveness. But, seeing her curl up on a couch with her friend and chatting along as though her life was completely civilian kept that notion pushed back.

The gunman had found himself outside and realized that he wasn't alone. Gabriel, who was so happy to accommodate the girls in whatever they desired, seemed to need a break from the talking too. This was the perfect time to get to the bottom of his defensive and secretly shrewd behavior. With a light stroll, Jigen moved himself next to the tall blonde man. Gabriel had been slouching a bit, but as soon as he had heard the back door open, he straightened up.

"Nice night out," Jigen finally said.

"Indeed."

Gabriel offered no more and didn't seem inclined to. Jigen had to go at this from another angle.

"I didn't think Jess could talk so much." Jigen mumbled. The two men didn't look at each other and merely kept staring straight ahead.

"Yes, it seems Kim is very pleased with coming. She has been obsessing over this for a couple weeks now."

"They both seem happy enough." Jigen took a cigarette out of his coat pocket and put it in his mouth. He then took out a lighter, but didn't light the cigarette.

"Whatever makes her happy makes me happy."

"I see." Jigen waited a moment and watched the man next to him shift his weight back and forth. He was mulling something over in his mind, Jigen had struck a cord. All he had to do was wait now.

Gabriel looked sideways. Jigen flicked the lighter on and off, still not lighting the cigarette. "You know who I am, don't you?"

"Yes, but only by reputation." The two were quiet for a moment again save the clicking of the lighter.

"What do you know?" Gabriel asked the question as though he were half afraid of the answer, though he did keep himself standing straight. Jigen took a deep breath and replied coolly.

"Your name is Gabriel Charge: famous or should I say infamous for high quality gadgets on the black market. Your work ranges from smoke bombs to reported nuclear weapons. It is rumored that you will take on private clients, though you prefer to remain neutral and seemingly are unable to be reached when an arms race is approaching between rival syndicates."

Gabriel sighed mildly and smirked.

"Did you recognize me right away?"

"No; it wasn't until you became very defensive at the airport."

"Well," Gabriel said with a soft laugh. "That was because I knew who _you _were."

"Oh?" Jigen looked up towards Gabriel.

"Daisuke Jigen; most dangerous and accurate gunman in the underworld, probably in the world? Yea, it's a requirement to know – plus the fact you are a known accomplice of Lupin III."

"I guess I should be flattered," Jigen replied with a shrug.

"That depends if you like being known for it." Gabriel looked down and kicked a bit of grass. "No offence, but I didn't know how a man of your reputation would handle being hit."

Jigen shrugged. "Comes with the territory."

"It's just that Kim…she means the world to me. No one else is like her and to have her suddenly be so unknowingly close to someone from my other life had me worried. Especially someone it is generally acknowledged not to be messed with."

"She doesn't know?" Jigen pretended to pay no mind to the latter part of Gabriel's sentiment, but secretly he enjoyed the idea of people knowing to stay away from him.

"No, she can't know. She is much safer that way. I refuse to have her exposed to such a life."

"Are you more afraid she'll think less of you if she knows? I mean honestly, you must have to travel a lot with what you do. What does she think you are doing to pay the bills?"

"She just thinks I'm a highly sought after computer expert. She's…partially right."

"Hmm" Jigen flicked the lighter on and off a bit faster now. He was glad that Gabriel wasn't an immediate threat to him or Jess and that his behavior at the airport was more a reaction to protecting the woman he loved. The fact that the gadget man preferred being a neutral territory in matters made things a little more calming too.

"Tell me," Gabriel said after a moment. "Does Jess know what _you_ are?"

"Yes."

"And she's OK with it?"

"I'm pretty sure she finds it attractive," Jigen replied with a laugh. "But just because she knows doesn't mean I care less for her." His tone had become darker and he paused for a moment to make sure his point got across. "No one will hurt her and if they do I will make sure they'll never take a breath again."

"It seems we have the same feeling regarding our women." Gabriel returned the stern expression and then relaxed quickly. "I understand now," he said with slight smile, "why people are afraid of you."

"I'm glad," Jigen replied dryly.

"I just ask that Kim stays in the dark for now. I know I have to tell her eventually, but not now."

"Do I look like a friggin' chick to you? I'm not going to gossip. I'm just glad that that annoying merry disposition you put on is at least half an act."

"Maybe its how I really am." Gabriel smiled broadly.

The two men shifted their weight back and forth a bit, allowed their shoulders to relax and went back to looking out towards the woods. They could hear the sea from behind them – soft waves pushing against the cliff near the front of the house. Cicadas in the distance cracked and chirped summer's entrance and a mild breeze pushed through. The men, though, felt themselves in the company of more than just insects.

"Jess: do you enjoy sneaking up on people?" Jigen said, slowly turning around.

Jess was looking out from the second story window. She had switched to her silky, short nightgown and seemed to glow as the moonlight reflected off of her pale skin. With dark brown eyes focusing directly on the men, she looked more like a huntress surveying her prey than simply a girl looking out across out of boredom.

"How long have you been listening to us?" Gabriel asked cheerfully, though his eyes narrowed.

"I just opened the window now to find you two, but I don't want to interrupt male bonding." Jess leaned against the window frame comfortably as though she had been watching for longer than she let on. Her cool smirk and crossed arms didn't promote her story either.

"Is there something you needed?" Jigen asked calmly.

Jess' eyes widened and she slowly uncrossed her arms to point directly at him. "Don't make me start spouting statistics again."

Jigen plucked the cigarette from his mouth quickly, bent it in half and flicked it across the lawn. His motion seemed a little defeated, like a child got with his hands in the cookie jar. Gabriel looked at him in confusion.

"She rather nag me to death than let me die of cancer," the gunman murmured under his breath. He then replied more loudly: "I didn't even light it."

Jess was clearly unimpressed and simply stated in a matter of fact tone: "Did you know 40 of men over 35 who smoke are impudent…IMPUDENT and…"

Jess stopped mid sentence to suddenly look inside. Both men, who had previously just been avoiding looking up for separate reasons, glanced at the open window. Jess' face was turned toward the interior of the house and she had suddenly sat up to focus more on what she was listening to.

"Just kill it," she finally said with a scowl. They watched her wait for an apparent rebuke to this command to which she responded with a "fine. I'm coming." But, before she left the window, the doctor looked down to the men again. "Kim found a spider dangling from a door frame and won't go through it. Therefore I must be her knight in shining armor and slay the beast. Oh, and I really did lean my head out this window to tell you two we are going to bed." She looked at Gabriel. "I'll see you in the morning. Please tell your fiancé that she is a wuss." Jess then turned to Jigen. "And I'll hopefully see you in a little bit." Jess closed the window quietly with a slight bow and smile, and disappeared from sight.

"Fiancé?" Jigen turned towards Gabriel again.

"Even more incentive to keep her safe."

The two men, now having made sure that each would not cause trouble for the other during the visit, departed quietly. Jigen watched Gabriel sprint up the stairs and the subsequent squeal from Kim at having been ambushed. The gunman shook his head, but continued his trek to the master bedroom.

When he entered, Jigen let his eyes focus to the darkness of the room. He could hear Jess' soft breathing from the bed, so he quickly undressed and slipped in to join her. Jigen remembered Jess' mysterious comment about "already know"-ing at the airport and wanted to find out what it meant. She was still awake.

"You better not have been smoking," Jess whispered, though there was no hint of anger in her voice. Jigen could feel her soft hands grasp his shoulders and pull her body towards him. He instinctually let his hand fall around her waist. "At least you don't smell like it."

"It's bad enough you won't let me smoke, but now I can't even pretend when I have something minorly stressful to do?"

Jess pushed herself up and hovered a few inches above him. She looked down and expressed an overly emphasized sad look. "Is that what you were doing? Poor baby."

"You should know, you were listening."

Jess laughed lightly in self amusement. "I was only there long enough to hear that Gabe doesn't intend to tell her who he really is until later, I just appeared to have been listening awhile to make him think about what he's doing." The room seemed quieter and the two paused long enough to hear a soft breeze rustling the trees outside. But, that was all they heard, letting them know it was safe that the other couple in the house wouldn't hear _them_. Jigen could feel her hand tighten on his shoulder.

"Is this what you meant by 'already knowing'?"

"Yes." Jess' tone became stern and she curled even tighter towards the warm body she held on to. "Remember the black market sale Lupin and I went to?"

"The one you used to work at?" Jigen's replied flatly.

"Yes," Jess continued. "He came by twice while I was there to sell his weapons and gadgets. Most of them were very comical and James Bond-esque…but some were rather frightening." She was still for a moment and then finally finished her thought. "Either way, I recognized him immediately. He's very distinct – being tall and blonde and attractive."

Jigen grumbled something incoherent.

"You are too easy to tease sometimes." Sitting up slowly again, Jess softly kissed Jigen's forehead. "Don't be angry with me, please." She then let her eyes widen and her face sink into a pathetic pout. The gunman knew it was her tactic of making things OK and wished it didn't work; but, those eyes were just too damn impossible to look away from.

"I don't like it when you use that on me." Jigen finally said with a smirk.

"But it's so easy."

"I'll allow it if…" he stopped his breath. He didn't really want to think about what he almost said. More so, he couldn't really believe it had bothered him that much to almost slip out. But, Jess continued to look more and more confused as the time passed and no words came out of his mouth. Her head turned a bit sideways and a wave of hair moved in front of her eyes; however he could still feel her questioning.

"What is it?" she asked gently.

"You were terrified of me…in the airport." His voice trailed off and he looked off to the side. He was glad it was dark because he was sure he was visibly embarrassed. Jigen waited for her response: unsure if she would laugh it off or try and make it better by a string of empty sweet words. His body suddenly became rigid; Jess let herself fall completely and lay still with her head against his chest and hands balled up into small fists close to her own body as though she were cold.

"I'm sorry," she murmured sadly. "I was. I won't do it again." He felt his hands automatically in the air like they had meant to catch her before she fell. Instead, he let them fall across her back and pull her tighter.

"Ah come on now. Don't react like that, it freaks me out."

Jess looked up suddenly, but not enough to startle. "I'm going to warn you now. Kim still doesn't really like you."

"A lot of people don't like me."

"Yes, but she will be odd about it."

"Odd?"

"You'll see." Jess put her head back down and moved her body slightly off to the side so that she wasn't directly on top of Jigen. She wouldn't say a word for the rest of the night and was content to let her hands run over his arm in unknown patterns until they were too tired to continue.


End file.
